Kirby High School
by Wario the TableMan
Summary: Dedede becomes a teen again and has to go back to school or else lose his throne. In the meantime, he meets new friends and foes and ultimately ends up face-to-face with one of the deadliest mysteries to ever shake Dreamland! (Rated T for dark themes)
1. A DAY IN DREAM LIFE

CHAPTER 1: A DAY IN DREAM LIFE

"Oh no!" she cried as she fumbled her belongings into the backpack and rushed down the stairs. "I'm going to be late for school again!" Her name was Fumu Ebrum, but her friends just can called her "Tiff". Her alarm had gone off at the wrong time for the third time that month. When this happened, she could only blame her lousy stupid brother Bun and his pranking life.

When she finally grabbed all of her stuff and got outside to the bus stop outside there, she was panting and her good-for-nothing brother was laughing at her like a blind hyena with too much hair.

"You sure are a funny prankster, Tuff!" snickered the round blue Lololo, calling his friend by his nickname casually.

At the bus stop were all the kids going to Kirby High School. Tiff, her brother, Dedede, Lololo, and Lalala. The high school used to be owned by the wretched King Dedede, but Kirby had swallowed a teaching stick that had transformed him into a smart intellectual. Kirby was now the principal of the school.

In the process, Dedede had accidentally turned himself into a teenager again and was now supposed to go to Kirby High School by law.

"School stinks!" grumbled Dedede. He whined the whole bus ride and thought about all the bad things he could do today in high school like a real troublemaker.

Their first class was history and everyone learned about how Kit Cosmos led a squadron of Waddle Dees across the land to defeat the dreaded Kracko.

Dedede failed to pay attention and fell asleep in class. He was awakened at the end of class with a measuring stick slapped him on the top of his head like that!

"OW!" cried the former king.

"Dedede, you must stay awake in order to pass this class," said Tiff with an annoyed tone, eyes was angry.

"I think he should slack off, because that's just how he was when he was a king anyway," said Tuff with a laugh at the end of the sentence.

"I hate you! You're always picking on me! You have no idea how hard being high schooling is!" yelled Dedede angrily as tears fell in huge circles from his eyes. He ran out of the room and hid in the bathroom, skipping his next class.

At lunch, Dedede had still not exited the facilities. Dedede's table was worried about him.

"Where do you think Dedede is?" said Prince Fluff.

"I bet he's making a mondo surprise for the next class!" said Magolor. "Pranking is what Dedede is best at. He's even better than that stupid Ebrum kid!"

"Well, he's going to really get it if he skips out on gym!" grumbled Knuckle Joe with hair slicking.

At gym, but Dedede still wasn't at the school lesson!

The teacher Mr. Rick told one of kids to go and look fr him. Knuckle Joe volunteered because he hated gym and was kind of a jerk anyway and nobody liked him, even his closest friends.

Knuckle Joe checked all the classrooms and found out from the janitor that Dedede was still in the bathroom crying while listening to "Dark Horse" by Katy Perry. Knuckle Joe rolled his eyes and went into the boys bathroom. He kicked the stall open and yelled at Dedede.

"I'm so ashamed! Everyone just bullies me here at Kirby High School!" cried Dedede into the toilet paper walls.

"I know you are a woos, but you need to stop acting so concerned. High School is supposed to be the greatest endeavour of our lives and your wasting your chance! Don't you feel lucky to have the opportunity to do it a second time?"

Dedede wiped his tears like his eyes were a window. "I never told anyone this, but I have a secret. I never even told Escargoon!"

Knuckles Joe opened up his ears wider.

"I never went to high school before," revealed Dedede. "I was pulled out because I had to become king of Dreamland. That was why I'm so bad at socialising properly and talking good."

Knuckle Joe now understood the problems Dedede had and it made him sad. "Come on, I'll walk you to the Counselor and you can talk about your problems with him."

Dedede took Knuckle Joe by the hand and they left the bathroom.


	2. CLUB SEARCHING

CHAPTER 2: CLUB SEARCHING

Dedede sat uncomfortably in the large chair in the counselor's office. He was very sad about being in Kirby High School because he had never did it before.

"Knuckle Joe told me this was your first time in a real high school setting because you got taken to work as a king," said Counselo, Coo.

"My parents didn't die, but they never ruled Dream Land in the first place," revealed the young teenage Dedede. "My parents found a loophole in the country's charter and we were able to get me to usurp the throne. I thought it would be pretty good since I didn't have to do boring school, but then I never did have a chance to act in high school with real experiences."

Coo was wise and cared about Dedede's problem. Maybe helping him would change Dedede's heart to be a good king with better morals. "Okay, I have a plan. You can try entering a club. There are lots in the school and you should try some." Coo handed some flyers about clubs to Dedede.

Dedede agreed because he felt lonely after school anyway. Escargoon was a jerk and treated him more like a child than ever before ever since the incidient. Nobody tooked him seriously anymore as a matter of fact, not even the Waddle Dees or Doo for a matter of fact.

He walked down hall after his last class and read the door. It said "Art Club". Dedede walked in and met Paint Roller, Vividria, and Drawcia. They were kind of stuck-up snobs that came from rich families. They kept making Dedede feel like he would cry great salty tears again so he left.

Then Dedede tried the "Food Club", but he heard one of the Bronto Burts call him fat under his breath. Dedede left due to those negative emotions.

Then Dedede reached the "Surprise Club". "What's up Dedede?" asked Tuff, who was lazing about instead of working on his assignments. Dedede felt a more calm atmosphere here, but he still didn't like the Tuff.

"We heard you were looking around to join a club. Do you want to join this one?" asked Bandana Dee.

"I don't know… I'm not too fond of forced bonds," said Dedede suspiciously. "What excaly does you do here?" he asked.

Tuff laughed hard and banged his fists on the table so hard that it shook! "We just do whatever we want. But it usually involves pranks, but only the legal, minor ones," said Tuff.

"Well, I do love me a good prankin!" smiled Dedede in a kind of nasty way.

"You should join, we like members!" said Lololo.

Dedede learned a lot about Tuff's club and really considered joining it. Maybe now he could be a part of something positive when it came to High School.

But someone was watching him walk home and it wasn't a good thing…


	3. THE VISITATION

CHAPTER 3: THE VISITATION

When Dedede got home, he quickly did his homework (horribly and lazily as usual) and then went to eating dinner at the royal table. Escargoon sat at the other end sipping fruity beverages.

"well, sire, did you learn how to be an adult today?" Escargoon teased. "Because I'm guessing not since you're still pretty short and stupid!" Escargoon laughed and Dedede began to cry.

"You know how mean you are, Escargoon?" fumbled Dedede between sobs. "You should stop being so unsupportive of me!"

"Oh, sorry sire, it's just so fun!" Escargoon said as he picked up a piece of paper with words on it. "You see this? This is our current charter and it says that all rulers must be over 25 years of age in order to be in the throne."

Dedede was scared at Escargoon's words.

"So that means I'm going to be the next king unless you can somehow age back to normal by the end of the school year!" Escargoon laughed again and tucked the charter back in his shell pocket.

Dedede seathed like a steamed carrot and cried. "I'm gonna be a critical thinker when I'm though with this year! I'll do science experiments and get my body back before you have the chance to steal my throne, you slimmy snake!"

"Don't bet on it, kid!" Escargoon taunted as he loaded the finished dishes into the dishwasher and laughed some more.

Dedede went to his room that night and cried into his pillow. He hated how Escargoon was so pushy and rude. Now he could potentially lose it all just because of some freak accident.

It was then that the curtains in his window flying open and revealed a sneaky figure!

Dedede saw him and gasped and fell on the Floor. "Who are you and why have you invaded my castle?" he said.

"It won't be your castle for long, Dedede!" said the figure.

"You know about the charter?" said Deddde stunned.

"Yes, my name is Marx. I'm just your average every day dogooder and I want to help you get your life back, okay?"

Dedede was hesatent at first, but then shook his hand with Marx's hat. "Okay, I'll trust you, but only if you tell me what you could possibly want in return."

Marx smiled a sneaky grin. "Oh, I don't want much. Just let me be your guide to all things high school. I'm one year ahead of you so I'll just be your big brother type."

Dedede smiled. "That sound's good. I won't cry as much due to the troubling qualities. You can help me that way."

Marx left the castle and then Dedede went to sleep with happy thoughts and an idea to get his life back.


	4. GETTING IN TROUBLE

CHAPTER 4: GETTING IN TROUBLE

Lunchtime at Kirby High School:

"Yo, Dedede, I saw you get a perfect score on Mr. Curio's dumb pop quiz!" mumbled Fluff.

"I'm feeling good today, guys!" said Dedede happily. "Last night, an older kid told me he'd watch over me and make sure I'll be able to get back to my old life again!"

Knuckle Joe smiled and thought about the therapy from yesterday and how it must have saved Dedede's life. He was probably going to get some major props for his duty to the young King. Mayne a castle?

Magolor laughed at the claim though. "Deeds, everyone knows that whenever an older kid says those kinds of things, it means they're just trying to catch you off guard and make fun of you later! It happens on television programs all the time!"

Dedede make a scowl at his friend. "This guy met me personally and I could tell in his eyes that he was honest!"

Magolor hated how Dedede was so sure about evry thing. He jumped up on the table and punched Dedede's lunch into mush. Dedede was really offended by this and jumped up on the table too. The two engaged in mortal combat and used the plastic forks to swordfight.

Just then, Mr. Rick barged through the doors and saw the took boys brawling. He grabbed them and bringed them to the principal's office.

"You idiots shouldn't fight like that!" roared Mr. Rick. "You're lucky I didn't join in and give you the what's for!"

Principal Kirby spun around in his chair and faced Dedede and Magolor. He adjusted his glasses and sighed. He typed words into his computer using his keyboard and the special program spoke for him. _I see you are fighting again like a bunch of ruffians… I'm gonna have to give you more detention like last week,_ said Kirby's program.

Dedede and Magolor made angry eyes at each other and were about to punch each other again, but Mr. Rick took their fists and put it in their own faces, knocking them out cold.

When Dedede awoke, he was at home with bucket of icy water on his head. "What happened?"

Escargoon was their waiting for him to wake up, finally being nice for once. "Oh sire… You were tossed on the curb due to fighting in the principal's office. You and Magolor got expelled from Kirby High School!"

Dedede was about to cry, but then he saw Marx emerge behind Escargoon. "But don't worry Dedede, I got you back in," said the jester-like guy.

"You did?" said Dedede happily.

"Yes, I told the principal that Magolor started it and also was involved in crime. He was trying to trick you into being a criminal like him and you were just protecting yourself from tainted morals!" told Marx about his lie.

"You lied about my friend to save me?"

"Yes, they expelled him twice now, but that's okay, I gotta look out for my little bro," Marx said with a wink eye and then ran out window.


	5. THE ANGRY CRIMINAL

CHAPTER 5: THE ANGRY CRIMINAL

Tiff was sitting on the bus and crying. She was dating Magolor and he had been expelled from Kirby High School twice. It was bad for two reasons: 1 because she loved Magolor, and 2 because the prom was coming up!

Tuff was sad for his sister. "Hey, Deedde, we need to cheer my sister up," said Tuff to Dedede.

"I don't want to! Magolor was a bad influence on her!" whined Dedede in a serious way.

"But we're a club now. We specialise in surprising others!" said Lololo. "We need to surprise Tiff with a new love."

"This kind of torturing hearts ruins my sister's cred, which eventually ruins mine, ya know!" said Tuff angrily at Dedede so that way he could understand.

Dedede understood and did not want to consider getting kicked out of the new club. He agreed to help Tuff do love work with Tiff.

Meanwhile, Knuckle Joe and Fluff were hanging out in the alleyway, ditching school like cads, but they was a good reason thoug.

They found Magolor sitting in a dumpster singing into his harmonica. "Well, he is a great blues player…" said Knuckle Joe.

"Yo, what really happened, Magolor?" asked Fluff confused still about the whole incident.

Magolor was mad and threw his harmonica at the wall and it shattered into many, many pieces. "I was expelled twice which means my parents have to sell the Lor Starcutter! I got expelled from school and then my home! Dededork is gonna pay!"

Fluff and Knuckle Joe deeply felt all of magolor's hatred. "We know, but we heard that happened because you do serious crimes in the city!" they said at the same time like the delightful children from down the lane.

"I don't do stinking crimes!" said Magolor astounded by the news. "I can't believe the idiots at Kirby High School are spreading that kind of crud!"

"What should we do then?" asked Fluff.

"I'll tell you what we will do!" said magolor with sinister eyes. "Us three are gonna to do a true real crime and it starts with expelling Dedede for good!"


	6. POLICE KIRBY

CHAPTER 6: POLICE KIRBY

Dedede was running down the hall with a huge batch of papers for the Surprise Club. When he turned the corner, he smashed into another student. He apologized and they gathered all the papers back together. "I know you from the Lunchroom, but I don't think we have any official classes together?" asked Dedede to her.

"I'm Adeleine. I remember you from one of the parent-teacher conferences. Your dad sure is weird-looker compared to you. Do you take after your mother?" she asked him.

Dedede then realised the thoughts she had. "Oh, that guy wasn't my dad. That was Escargoon and I technically own him more than he owns me. You see, I'm the king of Dream Land actually, but I accidentally got turned back into a kid again!"

"That's crazy! What are you doing here?" asked Adeleine.

"It's stupid because I have to go to school since I'm a teenager again. I'm actually part of the Surprise Club and I was on my way there with all these papers."

"What's happening?"

"It's a secret, but it has to do with my friend's sister. She got dumped and we're trying to cheer her up."

"That's nice of you. You're way nicer than my club members in the Art Club."

"Oh, I saw those snobs a few days ago."

"They certainly is snobs, they locked me out of the room the other day and stole my art supplies. I really hate it there."

Dedede then got an idea. "Why don't you join our club, Adeleine? We do art stuff regularly and sometimes eat yogurt. So come here for better atmosphere," invited Dedede.

So Adeleine listed and came to the Surprise Club and they all working on saving Tiff's lovelife. Tuff was really proud that they were doing the right thing.

Meanwhile, Magolor and his gang had arrived on the roof of the school with some fireworks. "If we make these go off, then the police will arrest the principal for lethargy. He will not have paid enough attention to the dangers of lose fireworks!" said Magolor evilly.

Fluff and Knuckle Joe didn't like the ideas that Magolor had. Knuckle Joe spoke up. "When you do this, it hurts us too. What if we get caught?" asked Knuckle Joe to Magolor.

"How does this even target Dedede?" asked Fluff curiously.

Magolor made an angry face and told them both to shut up. He then lit the fireworks and they went off. The Dream Land police already saw the danger and pulled up to the office area. The officer ran in and yelled at Principal Kirby. Magolor gave him high fives to his friends.

Kirby then walked out of the door and into the parking lot. He was no longer Principal Kirby, but now Police Kirby. Magolor and the others gasped because Kirby had eaten the police officer whole!'


	7. CAN THE SCHOOL BE SAVED?

CHAPTER 7: CAN THE SCHOOL BE SAVED?

It was a lot of fun working together to make the surprise project for Tiff. Dedede and Adeleine were doing really good working together as a team just like Tuff, Lololo, and Bandana Dee did. Dedede was good at dipping his hammer in paint and smashing star designs into the posterboard like a stamp. Adeleine added cute designs in the stars that made Dedede giggle embarrassed.

After all that, they headed home from the club and were in a really good mood. But right after Tuff left to find his sister, Magolor, Knuckle Joe, an fluff turned corner and smashed the hit at the Dedede and other remaining!

They all were piled atop one another and sore from the crash like used cars. Dedede flashed a grouchy glare at Magolor. Magolor returned the scowl, but then realised the current magnitude of the situation. "Guys, I know you aren't quite happy to see me, but we've just seen something crazy happen in the school!"

"I thought you were removed for violating the law, Magolor," said Lololo with his arms crossed.

"I was accused and now I'm homeless thanks to this clown," he pointed to Dedede and he frowned, but Magolor didn't care. "We just saw Principal Kirby discard his copy ability!"

"Now he's Police Kirby, which means the school doesn't have a principal anymore. There's no owner!" cried Fluff.

Everyone gasped in a fearing way. This was bad because it meant that the school could potentially closed and many students would not receive a fulfilling education.

"But who could ever be the next principal?" said Bandana Dee.

Dedede stroked the bottom of his beak like Obi-wan Kenobi. "There's a way. I know of someone."

The seven of them arrived at Meta Knight's house. Meta Knight's two servants Sword and Blade opened the door and let them in for some cake. Magolor really loved cake anyway, so it was an easy persuasion.

Meta Knight entered the room and listened to the youngsters problem. He gasped when he suddenly noticed Dedede's teenager form. "This is serious!" he cried. "With Kirby gone, Dedede can't be the king again. Even though I can't stand him, no offence, I'd much rather he be leading us than that dumb snail!"

Dedede laughed because Meta Knight was right about how stupid Escargoon was

"But alas, I can't be a part of the school, never mind the whole principal!" cried Meta Knight again.

Everyone gasped in shock.

"I'm going on a business trip into space with my fellow Star Warrior colleagues. We are participating in a month long battle in Galacta Knicht's arena!"

"But we need a principal or else the school is doomed!" said every single person scared.

Then Meta Knight had an idea. "I can grant you one opportunity to save Kirby High School!" He dialed up someone on his iphone.

"Hello?" said the other end. "This is Susanna Haltmann, can I help you?"

Meta Knight sighed. "Hey… it's me. Do you think you can do one more favour for me, Susie?"


	8. PROM PREPARATIONS

CHAPTER 8: PROM PREPARATIONS

Susie Became the new principal to lead Kirby High School. They didn't change the name because it was too authentic. Instead she was just the principal until the other teachers could find out what happened to Kirby.

"Hey, Dedede, do you think you can Susie to get me back in school?" asked Magolor. "I don't really do crimes."

Dedede considered. "I will put in the good world, magolor." He said.

Dedede walked home with his crew after school. Dedede listend to his headphones and was listening to "The Middle" by Maren Morris. He kept one headphone off to hear his friends. "You should have seen my sisters face when she got our love card, guys!" said Tuff happily. The card that the club had made yesterday was about how Tiff was such a great girl and person.

"We did a miraculous thing!" said Lololo, loud enough for a cheer.

"But thereis still one more problem. We need to find her a new partner for prom," said Bandana Dee.

Dedede read messages on his cell phone and was mad at the one Knuckle Joe sent him. "Knuckle Joe and the rest of the troublemakers want to socialise with me tomorrow, but I'm afraid I'll get in trouble too."

"You probably will, ditch them!" said Tuff. Tuff was kind of uncaring about the real issues in the world.

"Maybe you and them can just talk about prom since prom is in two days," said Adeleine. "See if they have gotten dates yet."

Dedede hated the girliness about talking about love, but realised that teenage boys do that a lot so it wasn't a girly thing like he thought back in the day. "Okay, we will be kind of less bad tomorrow, I guess."

The next day, Dedede met up with Prince Fluff and Knuckle Joe by the pier to throw rocks at passing ships. It was a meddlesome behaviour, but one that dedede could get behind casually. He owned those ships as king after all.

"So are you two going to prom this week?" asked Dedede finally.

Knuckles Joe coughed in disapproval. "I am only coming because me and Prince Fluff are gonna cause trouble!"

"Do you wanna join us, Dedede? Magolor's gonna sneak in with some stink bombs at midnight," says Fluff.

Dedede swallowed hardly. "I can't go cause I haven't got a date!" he announced and his friends was shocked.

"Well, why don't you ask Tiff since you seem so adament on cheering her up with Tuff?" asked Knuckle Joe.

"I can't do that! She's the prime minister's daughter! Plus, Magolor would kill me for stealing his woman!" said Dedede angrily.

In Knuckle Joe's head, he didn't think of this. But he knew Dedede had a brain and wouldn't jump to something stupid like that. After all, they were trying to get Magolor back in school and out of homelessness.

"Did you try asking that painter in your club?" asked Fluff.

Dedede was embarrassed! "I can't ask Adeleine. She is way out of my league. She was a member of the elites in the Art Club!"

"I'm sure you can do it, Dedede," said Fluff with a sly smile. "If you can't, then what kind of king are you?"

Dedede made a stubborn grin and then ran home. He studied for tommorow's test and then went to bed after dinner. He thought about all the things he could possibly say to Adeleine about asking her to the prom. "This is hard…" he murmured freaking out.


	9. RIP FLUFF

CHAPTER 9: RIP FLUFF

"He was found dead at the scene of the crime," said the police officer. He looked down at the body and wept alongside the onlookers.

Dedede rushed into the group of people crowded around the body. "What happened?" he cried.

Knuckle Joe turned to deded and gave him a tearful hug. "Prince Fluff is dead!" cried knuckle Joe.

Dedede gasped and looked down at the body and saw that Prince Fluff was indeed dead. He had blood leaking out of his body and his eyes were closed. The police officers put a tarp on the dead body and stowed it in the ambulance.

"How did Fluff die, Joe?" asked Dedede frantically.

Knuckle Joe took back his tears and tried to explain. "I think there's fishing stuff going around Kirby High School, Dedede. I think the murderer is among us!"

Dedede gasped again. "I need to preserve the evidence in case they come back like lions!" He went to the police and told them his idea. They agreed with Dedede and gave him Prince Fluff's body for safekeeping. When Dedede got home with Knuckle Joe, they stored Fluff in the freezer at home.

Escargoon stopped by and asked what was going on and Dedede explained.

Escargoon sighed. "Yup, this is definitely a cold case. We certainly are in a pickle, kid…" He walked away and watched television in the next room.

"How do we find the murderer though? I ain't no expert by any meanies" asked Dedede.

"We should aske moagolor for his insight." Replied Joe.

They went to Magolor's dumpster (because he was still homeless) and told him everything that had transpired at school today. Magolor was very disturbed by this. "He was my best friend!" cried Magolor.

"I know, and now he's dead due to some evil scoundrel!" said Dedede. "With you're keen intellect, how do we find the murderer?"

Magolor paced and then said: "We need to return to the scene of the crime. Meet me at midnight and we'll catch this goon red handed. "

When it was finally time, Dedede, Knuckle Joe, and Magolor all met up at once and hid in the bushes at Kirby High School. They waited and watched for evil trespassers. They were getting sleepy though, especially Knuckle Joe who was an early-riser.

"Who do you think killed Fluff?" asked Dedede.

"I don't know, but my best guess is that dorky painter you like so much," said Magolor with a grouchy expression.

"How dare you!" dedede could not believe what he was hearing from Magolor. "You can't just pick on Adeleine like that. She's a very nice person!"

"And the perfect suspect. She's trying to trick you into spending more time with her. That's why she killed Fluff. She wanted to make sure you're not hanging out with your old friends."

"I am so mad right now!" roared Dedede and he went to punch Magolor.

Then Magolor gasped and pointed at the light in the courtyard. All of a sudden, Adeleine stepped into view and Dedede could not believe his eyes now.


	10. SUSPECT NUMBER ONE

CHAPTER 10: SUSPECT NUMBER ONE

"Oh my gosh! Cried Dedede and he ran out of the bushes with Magolor and Knuckle Joe to Adeleine.

"Busted…" mumbled Adeleine.

"Murderer!" roared Magolor and he punched Adeleine in the face.

Dedede gasped at the punch but didn't help Adeleine because he didn't trust Adaliene no more.

Adeleine was knocked to the ground and rubbed her sore face. "Why did you do that for, Magolor, you criminal!"

"Don't play dumb, Adeleine! You killed Fluff and now you've returned to the scene of the crime like every villain does!" said Magolor, pounding his fists with ire.

Adeleine was astonished by the accusation. "Why in the world would I attempt to kill Prince Fluff? I don't even know how to kill people. I'm a painter and a pacifist."

"A likely alibi," snorted Magolor and he readied his handcuffs. "I'm taking you to the police."

Dedede gasped and told Magolor to cease jumping to conclusions. He knew there were a lot of heating emotions between all of them. "We need to sort through this first." Said Dedede as he turned to Adeleine. "Adeleine, if you didn't kill Fluff, then why are you at school so late?"

"I have an important duty. I don't know if I'm allowed to say…" she replied.

"Well, talk or else I'll kill you since I'm a criminal!" said Magolor threateningly, but not too much. He was probably joking because he wouldn't want to have to go to jail for real. He wasn't a real criminal.

"Fine! I'm here because the art club found out I left them and now they want to kill me. So I'm doing sneaky work around at late hours for them to appease their wishes. I don't want to end up like Fluff!"

Dedede nodded in approval. "You're innocent, but your friends are a little suspicious. Magolor do you think Drawcia, Vividria, or Paint Roller would try to kill Fluff?"

Magolor scratched his head confused. "I don't think so. Those jerks are all talk and no action. Painters and pacifists, just like Adeleine. I don't think they'd try to kill adeleine, just they would try and ruin her rep with gnarly accusations."

Dedede yawned. "Well we are all very tired and need to get our thoughts ordered. We''ll resume the hunt tomorrow."

Magolor gasped. "I almost forgot that tomorrow is the prom!"

Dedede gasped too. "And there's a murderer!"

"Oh no!" cried Knuckle Joe.

"Yikes!" said Adeleine.


	11. ANOTHER MURDER

CHAPTER 11: ANOTHER MURDER

It was the day of the prom and everybody showed up, even Magolor who was disguised as a Davy Jones impersonator. Dedede and Adeleine were dates and Knuckle Joe came with a photo of Prince Fluff because he was dead in Dedede's freezer. Tuff and Tiff came too. Tiff had a new boyfriend sent from the miracles of the club. His name was Gooey and Magolor wanted to strangle him for stealing his chicky babe.

"Don't be mad, Magolor. We have to find the murderer and we can't have people pin the blame on you!" said Dedede concerned.

Magolor seethed ragefully at Gooey's dumb tongue and said something nasty about his bowtie.

Knuckle Joe swallowed some punch and then cocked an eyebrow at one of the police officers overseeing the prom. "Oh my gosh! That's Kirby!" he cried while spewing his punch on Magolor's cape, further angering him.

Everyone rushed over to Kirby and questioned him.

"Poyo!" Kirby squeaked since he could not speak English.

"We need a translator pronto!" cried Dedede. He grabbed Gooey and asked him for help, much to Magolor's distaste.

"Poyo, poyo, poyo!" said Kirby again.

"Kirby say that he turned into a policemen for this very reason!" translated Gooey.

"You mean because of the murderer?" said Dedede.

Kirby nodded. Eveyone gasped because they didn't knw Kirby had known about the murderer this whole time and was working undiecover to find the fiend.

"Only Kirby can stop evil of this magnitude…" said Knuckle Joe seriously. He looked down at the photo of Fluff and began to cry.

"Oh man, this must be serious business if Kirby if getting to be a spy!" said Magolor.

And then all the lights in the prom room went out at once. When they all went back on again, everyone screamed when they saw Bandana Dee dead on the ground with a sword inside him. Tuff screamed and wept for his best friend.

Magolor stroked his beard-like chin. "Interesting… another one bites the dust…"

"And this time, he used a sword!" cried Adeleine. She started feeling sic due to the leaking blood from Bandana Dee's.

Police Kirby walked up to Bandana Dee and swallowed the sword. He was now Sword Kirby.

"Why did he eat the evidence?" asked Knuckle Joe.

"Because Kirby has a appetite for vengeance…" said Gooey.


	12. THE END OF PROM

CHAPTER 12: THE END OF PROM

Magolor and everyone else left the prom. It still went on because the show must go on! But when it ended and all punch was drinked. Then Dedede had to go home and that meant having to take his date Adeleine home. She was done throwing up because she got over seeing the dead Waddle Dee body for the first time that night.

Dedede was walking with his date and was nervous because he was starting to feel like being a teenager was really good. Now he could make friends and do cool teenage activities since he couldn't due to his parents pulling him out of school and forcing him to reign Dreamland.

"Dedede, did you have a good time at the prom?" asked Adeleine concerned.

Dedede nodded in approval. "I sre am sad that Prince Fluff couldn't' come and I was scared that Bandana Dee died, but I think the food and dancing were fun. I kind of like being a teen now."

"Will you ever find a way to get back to normal?"

Dedede was nervous. I am scared Adeleine because of my snail cohort Escargoon. He says that if I cannot become an adult again, he'll receive the throne from my absence."

"I can see your dilemma," said Adeleine. "Well, we are al my house." She went inside and waved goodbye to Dedede.

Dedede smiled, but was mad at himself for not telling her his true feelings. He headed home under the starry sky.

"There you are, Sire!" said Escargoon as he finished watering the garden. He did it late because he could see the salt on the ground better and not step on it and actidently die since he was a snail.

"Yo." Replied Dedede.

"What happened at prom. Did you kiss a girl?"

"No I kissed no one. But Bandana Dee got murdered!"

Escorgoon was so scared to here this. "This is a serious problem, Sire! You just told me your friend Prince Fluff died. Now that this has happened, I'm really scared for your safety…"

"I'm glad you care Escargoon." He said, still knowing that Escargoon had a nice heart even though he was mostly a jerk most of the time. "I'm tired though so I want to go to bed."

So Dedede went to bed and then woke up in the middle of the night to see Marx sitting by the windowsill. "Marx! You're back?"

"Indeed I am. I've been hearing about the tragedies at Kirby High School," said Marx. He walked over to the bedside and handed Dedede a list of potential suspects.

"I have narrowed it down to server people," said Marx illustratively. "It can't be Adeleine, you, or Magolor. We need to find out who has a sword."

"Who's the prime candidate?" asked Dedede.

"I think its either Kirby or the new principal Susie. We need more evidence though. Meet me at the gymnasium tomorrow after clubs."


	13. THE FAKER

CHAPTER 13: THE FAKER

Dedede left alone after his clubs with Tuff, Lololo, and Adeleine. He still didn't tell Adeleine how he felt. He went to the gym and saw Marx shooting hoops into the basket with amazing kicks. Marx seemed really good at using his feet for sports.

Marx saw Dedede and waved with his hat. He wiped his sweat onto his school jersey. "Did anyone else die today?" he asked his little brother.

"Not that I know of…" said Dedede to Marx. "But we did find a mysterious note in my boy Knuckle Joe's locker." Dedede took out the note from his backpack. "I told him I'd hold onto it and he went home 'casue he wasn't feeling good."

"I hope you didn't tell him we were meeting today… I don't want any suspects to know about this."

"Dedede gasped. Do you think Knuckle Joe is a suspect?" "No but we can't be rash about this kind of thing. This is school war, Dedede." Marx studied the note. "It's a threat, but it doesn't look like its from an actual murderer…"

"What do you mean," Dedede asked confused.

"This looks pretty mediocre compared to the actual crimes. I think some edgelord on school is trying to take the credit."

"What an awful thing to honour. This murderer is a huge criminal!" said Dedede.

"I know. I think we need to stop by Magolor's plae to get more insight, since he's been through this kind of stuff before."

So the two went to Magolor's dumpster and showed him the note. Magolor laughed at the serious notion that some angsty teen faker was taking the murderer's credit. He laughed because he was a very dangerous kid himself.

"Do you think this is an empty threat?" asked Marx.

"Of course, but we can't be certain unless we catch both perpetrators." Said Magolor.

Dedede and Marx agreed and they went with Magolor to the gym and plotted a scheming trap.

Later that night, the trap was set, Marx decided to hang back with Dedede and Magolor was live bait because he didn't care if he got caugt by the murderer. He hated his life anyway.

Right when Dedede and Marx almost fell asleep, they heard Magolor shout. They jumped out from hiding and saw Magolor holding another student by the head. It was Taranza.

"Looks like we caught our faker!" laughed Magolor and he piledrove the geek into the floor.

"Lemme go, yyou freaks"! growled Taranza.

"Taranza, did you write this letter?" asked Dedede holding the note up for taranza yo see.

Taranza spat webs on Dedede's face and laughed. "I didn't do it!"

"What a liar. I can see you sweating so much," said Magolor. He punched him in the gut and Taranza did purplish blood out his mouth.

"Fine! I'll admit it was me, but I only did it because I got threatened by the murderer," said Taranza.

This was shocking news to Dedede, Magolor, and Marx. "Then who is the real murderer?" asked Dedede.

"I don't know, but I have a hunch. It's not safe for me to tell so meet me at the junkyard tomorrow after school and I'lltell you everything!" said Taranza.


	14. LOSING AT LOVE

CHAPTER 14: LOSING AT LOVE

Dedede, Marx, and Magolor met Taranza at the junkyard and he was resting in his web like a ham mock. He came down to talk to the three.

"Are you going to tell the truth or do I have to beat it out of you?" said Magolor threateningly like an angry pair of blue and yellow pliers.

Taranza sweated a lot and nodded. "I don't want this guy on me tail any longer, so I hope you can defeat him before he gets me or anyone else."

"What suspects do we have to work with?" asked Marx as he took out his notebook.

"There are three that I can think of. One that you all probably suspect. Kirby."

Dedede gasped. "I always knew that puffball was a menace!"

Magolor crossed his arms. "I know, me too."

"Who are the other two?" asked Marx when he wrote down Kirby in the book.

"I don't trust Tuff. Ever since Prince Fluff's death, he has been acting a bit strange lately. He didn't even cry about it. He almost looks like a zombie now," explained Taranza.

"But he did cry about Banada Dee…" noted Magolor.

"The last guy I think about is a kid named Burning Leo. I've seen him hanging around in shady places lately. Like a criminal." Said Taranza.

"This is good intel," said Marx. "I think I have an idea. Maybe the murderer isn't actually any of these three, not directly…"

"What do you mean 'not directly'?" askedMagoloar with his eyebrow cocked.

"I think we've got our selves a bigger issue than you relise," said Marx. "Maybe the culprit is not even among us, but from an entirely different realm…"

"Good assumption, " said Dedede. "But if you are considereing the multiverse theery. Then where do we go from here?"

Marx smiled. "We need someone with good experience on the door side of society. Luckily for you young'uns, old Marx knows a few veterans…"

And so the next day came, Dedede went to school with his friends because Marx said that there would be time to talk after the day's clubs.

It was kind of a surprising day because Magolor finally came back to class. It appeared that Dedede's good word had given the egg-shaped mage a second chance. Now the whole gain was back together again, except for Prince Fluff who was dead in Dedede's freezer.

Knuckle Joe was really nervous about Magolor being back. "You're kind of a horrible person. How do we know that you aren't actually the murderer?" said Joe.

Magolor hated the accusation and was ready to punch Knuckle Joe hard. He just stopped just in time when the teacher walked in. Thank goodness he didn't get caught in the violence or else he would have been expelled a third time!

"All right, Class. Do your test today. Then you can leave early to your clubs," said the history teacher Mr. Curio.

"I really hate Mr. curio's,' said Dedede and everyone nodded in agreement. Luckily they all finished the test. Magolor didn't do very well and mostly cheated, but it was only because he was absent and was unable to hear the content over the unit.

When class ended, everyone left to go to their clubs. Magolor tapped Dedede on the shoulder. "Make sure you keep a lookful eye on Tuff. I still don't trust him."

Dedede agreed and went to the Surprise Club.

He saw Adeleine outside the door and looking very nervous.

"What is going on, Ad?" asked Dedede to his friend. "Are you doing good in high school?"

Adeleine made a angry face at Dedede. "Dedede I am very stressed out about all the things that have to do with the murderer!"

"My brother and friends are trying to get everything sorted out. Everything is gonna be fine," said Dedede.

"I'm still so nervous. What if all your snooping ends with you getting killed by the murderer?" asked Adeleine.

"don't worry about me, Adeleine!" shouted Dedede, but in a friendly way.

"I can't stop worrying!" shouted Adeleine with rage in her voice. She hated how easygoing Dedede was being. "Don't you know how much I care about you?"

Dedede was shocked to hear this. "Adeleine, I did not know you cared about me."

"I do, Dedede. You're the first guy I ever meet that I've ever grown such feelings for. I really, really like you!" Adeleine started crying. "Don't you like me a lot too?"

Dedede was too nervous to respond to something like a love accusation. Adeleine was so annoyed by Dedede's lack of confidence. "Rash Butt!" she yelled at him and ran away crying.

"Uh-oh!" said Tuff as he and Lololo came out the door to find out what all the noise was. They saw Adeleine run away crying.

"Dedede what have you done?" asked Lololo still thinking about the murders.

Dedede felt so sad and looked up at the sky. "I think I just lost my one shot at true love…"


	15. THE DARK PROPOSAL

CHAPTER 15: THE DARK PROPOSAL

Dedede didn't talk much to Tuff and Lololo at th surpise club. There wasn't much to talk about anyway since everyone was still pretty up tight about Bandana Dee's death. Tuff was also a suspect that Magolor highly considered, so Dedede was a little uneasy conversing with him now.

After clubs,

Dedede and Magolor met up with Taranza in the gym and the three went to Magolor's dumpster to meet Marx again.

"I had a bad day today," said Dedede. "I think I blew my chance to becoe boyfriend and girlfriend with Adeleine.

"That's pretty bad, but my life is much more disastrous," boasted Magolor angrily. "I lost my woman to a blue goofball." Magolor was speeking about Tiff and Gooey's relationship because Tiff was formerly his girlfriend.

"I talked to her all day about getting back together, but she's too much in love with Gooey now and I hate it. I hope the murdering finds him."

"That's a horibble thing to say, Magolor!" said Taranza.

"Shut up, weakling!" said Magolor to Taranza angrily. He was about to punch him. "Don't act like I'm a bad guy for wishing ill upon my enemies even though you pretended to take all the murderer's credit."

This was true and every time Taranza thought about this he was ashamed.

Everyone got back to Magolor's dumpster where he lived ever since his expulsion from high school. The met Marx and Marx had a toothpick in his mouth.

"Yo Marx!" said Dedede and he high-fived Marx's hat. "That's a really cool toothpick!"

It's always true to compliment your friends, especially when its really cool. It can help set your mind when you have relationship struggles with your significant other.

"What are we doing today, Marx?" asked Magolor with his eyes doirect.

"Marx smiled and flung his toothpick away from here. "I'm gonna show you a real criminal today and he'll help us catch this crook."

Dedede and Taranza gasped. "A real criminal?" they said questioningly at the same time. This was a scary new addition to their mission.

"Don't worry. I will protect you from harm," said Marx with a smile. "Remember, I'm older and wiser than you three."

"But you aren't stronger," said Magolor as he felt his own muscle. It was big because he worked out a lot and did criminal-like things.

Marx lead the three downtown and they went to a really shady district that had wires all over it. It also had dark boxes and guns and broken cars with other criminals sleeping in them.

Dedede was about to puke because he was scared of the area he was in. He heard a gunshot and gasped because Taranza was on the floor.

"Holy cow! Taranza got shot!" cried Dedede. Magolor and him rushed over to help him.

Taranza got back up and breathed a sigh of relief. "I think it just missed me and the shockwave just started me!" he said with shaky hands not attached to anything.

"I thought I told you to stay close to me!" called Mrx from aup ahead. "You need to or else you really could get bullet wounds."

"I'm glad I didn't bleed!" said Taranza with a toothy grin.

Everyone finally made it to a mysterious door. Marx knocked on it and the slat at the top opened up and revealed to sinister eyes.

"Who goes there?' asked the eye-haver. "Oh, it's just you Marx. You've got a lot of nerve bugging us again…"

"Fear not, I am here for help, not trying to annoy you." Said Marx with a kind of sassy tone in his voice.

Dedede saw the door open and Marx went in. Marx was suspicious at first, but then changed his mind and invited the three younger high schoolers in.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Marx," said a voice at the table. There sat a roundish mouse with a red hat and red cape. He had very sharp claws and a glint of evil in his eyes.

"Good evening, Daroach!" said Marx with his very annoying voice because that was just how he acts. "Mind if I ask you for a little favour?"

"A favour?" Daroach laughed. "Youre aout of your mind if you think I'm lending you a hand, grape boy. Not after last time!"

Marx giggled to himself as he remembered last time. Dedede was both worried and cuious about what entailed last time, but he maybe didn't wanna know.

"How about A deal," said Marx slyly. "There's someone roaming the streets causing quite a ruckus. I'm guessing you've heard of him?"

"Gosh, the news is right…" said Daroach worriedly. "So he's been causing trouble in your side of Dreamland as well."

"He stol the lifes of of some weary studs actually and we're here to bring him to justice," said Marx.

"Ah," said Daroach. "As if you are doing this for an actual good cause, Marx…"

Marx grinned and turned to Dedede. "Of course, business comes second, but family always comes first in the Marx household."


	16. DEDEDE SQUEAK SQUAD

CHAPTER 16: DEDEDE SQUEAK SQUAD

Dedede was so shocked to hear about Marx's plan last night. He learnt that he had to work with Darorach and make dark things into the hunt. He and Magolor too. They had to find the murderer one way or another, even if it killed them.

Dedede was so stressed out about the whole thing. The next day at High School, he just sat at his desk with his ear buds in and listened to "Mo Bamba" by Sheck Wes all day. It set his mind at ease when he listened to music like this. It made his pain melt away.

Dedede was not the only person worried about joining the Squeaks. Magolor and Taranza were having similar problems.

"Just when you think you're not a bad guy, a murderer shows up and tricks you into joining a mouse mob!" said the Halacandran.

Taranza cried as he looked at his flower. "I just hope we don't end up in big trouble…"

Then everyone heard a "psst" from outside. But only Dedede, Magolor, and Taranza heard it. They thought it was Marx outside the window of school. They went outside, but instead of Marx, they met Kirby, still with his sword.

Dedede got mad because since his previous life, he hated Kirby with a hot fiery passion.

Magolor and Taranza also hated Kirby, but only because thei hated High School.

"Poyo!" said Kirby in a kind of serious way but it was still being cute.

"I can't understand his language!" roared Dedede. He was getting ready to leave.

"I can understand him though!" shouted Taranza and he spoke with Kirby to get the information translated properly.

"What did hie say? Asked Magolor after the conversation finished.

"He says he had a run in with the murderer last night and they fought. Kirby beat the murderer, but he escape before Kirby had a chance to capture him," said Taranza.

Dedede gasped. "That sounds like something MetaKnight would do!"

"Meta Knight is the murderer?" said Magolor shoutingly.

"Are you sure?" Taranza then asked Kirby if Dedede was right. Kirby nodded and everyone gasped. Now they had to tell the police.

"Wait! We can't tell the police! The authorities are our new enemies now!" said Dedede.

"Is that because we joined the Squeaks last night?" said Taranza.

"Yeah, so we can't tell no one about this meeting. Only Kirby can," said Dedede.

"But only Taranza and Gooey can talk to Kirby," said Magolor. He then remembered how much he hated Gooey. "This is bad. How will we avenge Fluff and Bandana Dee now?"

"We need to be more careful," said Marx as he approached the younger kids. Kirby gave him a suspicious look because Marx was kind of a checker.

"We need more evidence," said Marx. "We can't just trust Kirby no more than he can't trust me."

Dedede remembered that Kirby was on the list of murder suspects. "Yeah, I agree with my big brother!"

Everyone also said yeah.

Kirby was mad at the accusation, but trusted it because this was the business.

"Why are you out hear so early Marx?" asked Dedede.

"It's a half day today so I got out early. You scrubs didn't get a half day though, so you should go back to class," said Marx.

Magolor laughed about how bad he was. He was skipping school and he was in an official mob now. He really felt like Tiff was missing out on his attractive life now. If you had a mirror for Magolor's heart, you could see so much energy that was made of his naughty spirit.

"Better get back to class before someone run you in," said Marx. "If the police find out about your lethargy, they may also find out about your assimilation with the Squeaks!"

"Good point, let's do school!" said Dedede. He and his friends (Magolor and Taranza) ran off.

Kirby turned to Marx. "poyo." He said concerned.

"I'm not letting you outdo me this time, pink boy!" said Marx. With that, he waddled back to the gym to shoot more hoops until clubs ended.

Later that night, Dedede, Magolor, and Taranza arrived at the Squeaks's hideout and came into the hideout. They showed off their ID cards as proof of their membership. Magolor also did a cool motion by sliding the card onto his back and up his other hand like a basketball superstar. He thought it was cool to be a real life criminal, but not one that was pure evil.

"I see you did not chicken out," said Daroach from his chair. He had his feet on the table like a rash knave. "Now we need to get business done. Go to Kirby High School and gleep all the lemon bars from the cafeteria."

Dedede was nervous about these crimes, but then relizsed he was the king so he wouldn't get in trouble even if he was caught. He shook hands with Daroach, as did the other two and they all went out to do the dare.

When Dedede, Magolor and Taranza got to the cafeteria, they raided the fridge and got all the lemon bars. Magolor ate a few because he was getting to criminal, but it was okay because he was a dumpster dweller.

"This is wrong…" said Taranza.

"No it isn't!" reassured Dedede. "I'm the king and I can still get whatever I want!"

All of a sudden, a spotlight shone from the ceiling and went straight on Dedede and his gang. Escargoon was manning the light. "Gotcha!" he shouted.

"Escargoon!" shouted Dedede back.

"You are so busted, dude!" said Magolor.

"How could you!" Escargoon was beginning to cry due to Dedede's bad attitude. He called the police and police showed up.

"Why did you do this?" asked th officer.

Dedede sighed and told the truth. "It's because we joined the mob."


	17. THE SHOCKER

CHAPTER 17: THE SHOCKER

Dedede sat in the prison cell all by himself and cried a bit. He was convicted for doing mob dirtywork and Escargoon ran him in. It wasn't even because Escargoon was trying to steal the throne, it was because Escargoon truly cared about Dedede's wellness.

Dedede was allowed his ipod, so he listened to "Thank U Next" by Arianna Garnde the whole time because it reminded him of him and Adeleine. They were going through a rough patch now and everyone thought they were totally broken up, even though they never even became a real boyfriend and girlfriend.

Dedede sang the lyrics and he sounded kind of bad, but Magolor in the other cell didn't care because he was used to being in jail.

"This happened to me twice already," said Magolor. "I was imprisoned for stealing a globe from the geography room last year. The other time was when I drove a golfcart illegally around campus." Magolor sure sounded proud for some reason, but theat sjust how he always was.

Taranza was really, really sad though. "I wish I never pretended to be the murderer. Now I'm trapped with a terrible record to withhold." He said as he weeped into his six hands.

"Dumb idiot," said Magolor slyly. He rested on his cement bed and thought about his prankster attributes. "I'm better off hanging here than being at stupid, boring school or the smelly, rotten dumpster!"

Dedede stopped singing and looked over at the door cause it was opening. Tuff ran inside with his arms flailing like a broken seagull.

"What's up, my boy?" asked Magolor.

"Dude! It's terrible! The murderer struck again!" said Tuff.

"He killed someone?" asked Taranza. Breathing a sigh of relief because it wasn't himself. He was scared about the impersonation charges.

"He killed Tiff!" cried Tuff and he cried and cried forevermore.

Magolor sat up straight in his bed and just stared at Tuff. He couldn't believe his ears.

"What do we do now?" asked Dedede. "We arein jail!"

"We gotta call Marx!" said Taranza. "He'll explain everything to the police managers."

"You guys have to hurry," said tuff between his childish sobs. "You three are our only hope at cracking this case!"

Dedede was scared, what if the Murderer killed Adeleine next? There wasn't enough Arianna Grande music in the world to protect him from that kind of unsettling reality. "We need to get out of here!" he shouted.

Just then Escargoon walked in. Marx was right behind him. "Well, sire, you've gotten in quite a mess, eh?" said the purple snail.

"Escargoon, I'm sorry! But tiff just got killed!" said Dedede with wet eyes.

"I know, Marx found the body and brought it to Tuff's house for inspection, then they all came here," says Escargoon.

"I had to find some way to kill time while I waited for you to get bailed out, little bro," said Marx kind of darkly. His humour wasn't very nice, especially to Tuff.

"How do we get out of here?" asked Dedede.

Escargoon held up the keys. "The police went over your records and found that you're too young to be held prisoner, but you are still elligle for parole. You won't get any charges pressed on you if you promise to capture the mureder and bring him to justice."

This was a lofty expectation by the police, but it was one that Dedede understood completely. He and the others left their cells and went home.

"Magolor, don't be rash," said Dedede with a compassionate warning.

"I hated Tiff for breaking up with me, but I… I can't believe she's actually gone. Ths is something I would never even wish even upon my worst enemy," said Magolor sadly. His cat ears drooped with the woe.

"Taranza, remember, that you are responsible too. You are even worse than me and Magolor," said Dedede to the spider-like kid.

Taranza nodded. "I'm so sorry I made this mess bigger. We will put an end to this evildoer."

Dedede laughed and patted his newer friend on the back. Maybe all was not lost.

But the next day was really, really bad. Everything was now a total crisis…


	18. MAGOLOR'S RAGE

CHAPTER 18: MAGOLOR'S RAGE

It was the next day at Kirby High School. It was Friday, meaning it was the last day before the upcoming weekend. Most kids wood be coulgn ti parties and playing video games then, but Dedede, Magolor, and Taranza wouldn't be doing that. They would be tracking down the murderer with the help of Marx and the Squeaks.

"Where is Magolor?" asked Knuckle Joe. They were in homeroom.

"Dang, I hope he didn't get killed last night like Tiff did!" said Tuff who was already starting to get over his sister's death. He was good at mentally healing.

"I think I saw him this morning, but he didn't look normal," said Taranza.

Dedede bit his nails in nervousness. He hoped Magolor was not dead.

It wasn't until lunch that everyone finally found Magolor. He was sitting in the cafeteria, staring out the window. Taranza was right in saying that he looked incorrect.

Magolor wasn't wearing his normal blue and gold outfit. Now he wore a black jacket and his hat was black and looked like a bandana without cat ears. He didn't wear gloves, but fingerless ones, and his hands were exposed and had black nails. Magolor wore a ratty scarf that had fake blood stains (or maybe REAL ones?)

Magolor had the blankest expression ever. Dedede and Taranza wer kind of nervous to approach him. Knuckle Joe sat down right away because he always trusted Magolor with all his heart. It was because they were like brothers; the two of them together like peanut butter and jelly.

"What's up, bro?" asked Knuckle Joe.

Magolor didn't respond.

Dedede got concerned. He knew now that Magolor would probably want to be left alone. They just ate beside him and didn't say anything at all.

After lunch, Magolor didn't come. He just sat at the table and continued to stare out the window with anger in his yellow eyes.

"Do you think he's alright?' asked Taranza.

"No," said Dedede with so much worry. His friend was having soul problems for sure.

That night, everyone showed up at the Squeaks with Marx. Even Magolor was there, so that was a positive sidenote.

"Well, well, well…" mumbled Daroach. "If it isn't the failures. You almost got my whole gang ratted out." He said this with no pun, he was serious.

"Normally I would kill ya for bringing such shame to our gang, but we know better than that because you're just kids," said Daroach. "At least you showed me that you three have guts. So I'll give you another chance!"

"Goodie," said Marx with a sinister tone. He winked at Daroache and daroach made a angry face because he hated Marx's guts.

"What now? Do wee have to gleep anymore items from Kirby High School?" asked Deded3.

"No, this time, I want you to prove with your worth to me by spraypainting graffiti on the gym walls. Don't get caught this time."

Dedede and the other sneaked into the gym and did it. They made a painting of a mouse on the wall behind the basketball hoop. Marx watched to make sure they did it right. He was kind of proud of how good they were. He just felt bad that they had to join the mob in order to prove themselves.

Magolor took one can and dropped it by mistake. Dedede shushed him to not get their cover blown.

Magolor got mad at Dedede and punched him and the two boys fought gruesomely. Magolor got blood on his hands and felt ashamed. He ran away.

Dedede was hopping mad, but he still felt bad for Magolor. "I want to help him…" he said.

Marx chuckled and handed Dedede a rag to clean off his bloody nose. "I think Magolor isn't ready for the big leagues. He talks a lot of trash about being a real hot shot, but he hasn't a clue as to what real criminals do. They deont just steal lemonbars and ride golfcarts in illegal areas."

After the job was done, Dedede, Taranza, and Marx went back to the Squeaks hideout and went inside. They saw Daroach sleeping on his desk.

Marx nudged Daroach with his foot. He didn't wake though.

"Omigosh is he dead?" asked Taranza.

"Marx kicked Daroach over and saw a bunch of blood on the desk. "Yup, looks like it. I guess our days in the mob have come to an end." He kind of put on a toothy grin, but he was truly annoyed by the whole ordeal.

"The murder? Did he do it?" asked Dedede surprised.

"No…" said a voice. Then a shot was fired from a gun and it almost hit Taranza.

"Why do I keep almost getting shot?" cried Taranza.

Magolor stepped out of the shadows with a gun. "I'm done with this whole sharaids…" he said darkly.

Dedede and Marx gasped and Taranza hid behind a barrel. Magolor cocked his gun and aimed at Marx. "You. You took away Tiff. I've had enough of your mania."


	19. THE SHOT

CHAPTER 19: THE SHOT

Marx was feeling worried about Magolor's well being. "Why did you shoot Daroach dead in his?" asked the cosmic jester.

"I did it for love…" Magolor said with tears welling up in his vermillion eyes. His finger twitched on the pistol's trigger. He tried his best to keep his composure.

"Magolor, killing Marx won'y bring Tiff back!" said Dedede.

"So what?" Mgolor said and then he sucked up his tears and fired a bullet at Marx.

Marx got shot hard and fell to the ground.

"NOOOOOO! MY BROTHER!" cried Dedede (even through Marx was not his true brother, it was just as impactful for everyone).

"I can't believe you killed him!" yelled Taranza. He leapt atop Magolor and knocked the pistol out of his grasp. Taranza then beat up Magolor's face with his six hands with rapid punches because he had so many at once.

Magolor was getting his own blood everywhere and it was already staining his scarf with the "fake" bloodstains on it.

"Stop fighting!" shooted Dedede.

"He's worse that ath murderer!" roared Taranza. He picked up Daroaches magic wand and prepared to put it in Magolor like a sword.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

"It's the police sirens!" cried Dedede.

"Licked bottom…" grumbled Magolor. He smacked the wand out of Taranza's hand and bolted into the darkness.

"I'll stopl him!" roared Taranza. He shot spiderwebs to try and slow Magolor down, but Magolor had already disappeared into the shadows.

The door was opened and the police came in with their lasers, because lasers are more powerful and professional, don't you think?"

"Hands up, nerds!" shouted the policeman angrily and he fired a warning shot.

"Help!" cried Dedede. "My brother is dying!"

The policemen saw Marx and gasped. They quickly put their lasers away and put Marx on a stretcher. They had to take him to the hostile.

Dedede was crying and holding onto Taranza who was also crying.

The policemen interrogated them about the innocent and also cleaned up the dead bodies of Daroach and his gang.

"Will my brother live?" asked Dedede mournfully.

The policeman nodded. "I think he was still breathing. He wasn't shot in the vital organs so he will survive."

"Great, but we have a big problem with my friend, Magolor," said Dedede.

The policy nodded and they knew that Magolor was a bad kid, but only due to the recent events. "When need to find that kid!" said the Policemen.

Just then Kirby walked in with his sword because he was still Sword Kirby.

"Kirby!" yelled Dedede. He had never been so happy to see him here.

"Poyo," he said.

"Kirby says that Magolor isn't himself. He's been tainted by loss." Said Taranza.

"What loss?" aske Deedede.

Taranza and smiled weakishly.

"I see?" finished Dedede.

Kirby nodded, but did really understand much things. But he thought about how high schoolers were in for even more terrible news.

"Poyo…" said Kirby.

"Stunk!" growled Taranza. "This just in: Principle Susie was found dead at her desk ten minutes ago!"


	20. KNUCKLE JOE'S PLAN

CHAPTER 20: KNUCKLE JOE'S PLAN

Dedede sat swaddled in his warm comfy red blanket by the fire. Escargoon made him a cocoa and he drank it in between tears.

"Sire, are you okay?" asked the lower snail.

"No, Escargoon. I am not okay," said Dedede to Escargoon in a sob way. "None of anything in my life is okay! You don't see it? My life is in shambles!"

Escargoon sat down besides Dedede and held him in a warm uncle-like embrace.

"There's a murderer running wild killing all of my friends. The girl I really like just told me that she hates my guts. Now I'm a former mob member and one of my oldest friends has become an even bigger threat. Plus, my brother has been shot and is in critical condition."

"I understand you pain, Sire," said Escargoon.

"No, you don't. You want me miserable cause you wanna steal the throne!" said Dedede.

Escargoon began to feel bad. He forgot how hard teenage life was. It was harder than being a snail who always got whacked in the head with the king's mallet.

"I hate all this bad stuff!" said Dedede anxiously.

Escargoon sighed and left the room. "Sire, I'll tell you one thing before I leave."

Dedede put on his listening ears for just a moment.

"I know what you are going through because I had my brother killed when I was in high school too. I think you should count your blessings because I think Marx is gonna make a full recovery."

"Thanks Escargoon…" said Dedede. And then Dedede went to sleep and thought nothing else except that he was scared and alone.

The next day was Saturday and Dedede met up with Taranza and the two of them met up with Knuckles Joe at the local mall to talk important news to him.

"What a idiot-brain!" said Knuckle Joe as he flexed like Kelso did because he liked showing off to the ladies at the mall. Knuckle Joe was such a sweetheart these days. Fluff cold no longer slow him down

"Even though he killed Daroach, I think it was for a good reason. Daroach was leading us down the wrong pathway," said Taranza.

"But I can't forgive Magolor for what he did yo my brother. We need to stop him!" said Dedede importantly. He shook his fist like ire.

"Hey, you guys still call him, Magolor?" asked Knuckle Joe.

"Yeah why?" the others said.

"Magolor talked to me in private yesterday during school. He told me that his new name is Magothic because he wnedt to embrace his hatred." Said Knuckle Joe.

"Whay would you want to do that? Is he being tempted by Darth Vader?" said Taranza, hoping his friends would understand his scifi reference. Taranza was such a nerd!

Dedede stroked his beardless chin. "Magothic?" he repeated. "He's like an entirely new person and the police are keeping a close eye on him but letting him still go to High School."

"It seems like he only trusts me now," said Knuckle Joe. "I wish we were still all friends like the good old days."

It had barely been a week, come to think of it…

Dedede frowned, High school life was moving so fast and it was getting more and more irritable with each day.

"Well, we may have lost two of our allies, but theres still work to be done," said Taranza eagerly like a lighthouse in the darkest bay.

"What now?" asked Knuckle Joe.

"We need to investigate our final suspect for the true murderer," said Taranza. "Remember, I said that we had to watch out for Kirby and Tuff, but it seems like they're both off the hook for now."

"But Tuff doesn't even care about his own siter's death anymore!" said Dedede excalmed and surprised.

"Yes, but Tuff has shown off his idiocy. The murder isn't him, because the murderer must be someone highly intelligent. The last person we hav to check is Burning Leo."

"What's so dfferent about Burning Leo?" asked Knuckle Joe?

"Burning Leo is in an honour's class. He's a prime suspect. Plus, he's been hanging around shady places lately."

Knuckle Joe gasped. "Oh my gosh!" he said in shock. "I passed Burning Leo in the halls yesterday. I asked him if he wanted to tag along for some pranks, but he said he had after-school work."

"And?" asked Dedede.

Knuckle Joe gulped hard and pulled his own hair in shock and disbelief. "Then I saw him go in the direction of the principles office!"

"The principals office…" murmured Taranza. "Susie was killed last night…"

"Dang!" snapped Dedede and he and the oters ran away out of the mall to search for more clues.

At the schoolgrounds they saw policemen who told them to stay away from the scene of the crime. There was yellow "back-away" tape everywhere and the kids knew to avoid breaking the law, especially since Magolor was no longer egging them on to commit offences.

"What do we do?" asked Dedede.

"We can't go in the school through the doors, but we can drop in for a quick visit," said Knuckle Joe. He showed his friends to a secret stash in the woods.

The three friends got up on a tree branch. "Now Taranza has to use his webbing on the tree branch to make a slingshot." Said Knuckle Joe.

"Why?" asked Taranza.

"Then we shoot ourselves up to the roof without being detected by the police. Once we get to the top, we can sneak in through the ventilation like Jason Bourne.

So then Taranza made webs and they used it in combination with the tree branch and shooted themselves up to the school roof. Once there, they snuck past the guards and climbed into e vents.


	21. THE TERRIBLE TRUTH

CHAPTER 21: THE TERRIBLE TRUTH

Dedede, Taranza, and Knuckle Joe sneaked around the ventilation system until they found an opening. They emerged from the top in the bathroom. Dedede kicked the grate open and they all skipped out.

"I sure hope they didn't lockthis room or else we're stuck here until the police find us," said Taranza. "And that won't be good…"

The door was locked, but Knuckle Joe used the Rising Break to knoc off the lock. He did it quiet enough so they were safe. Then they used Taranza's many eyes to spy around the corners and make sure the police weren't looking as they snuck.

"So far so good…" said Knuckle Joe. "We are at the club hallway now."

Then Dedede gasped. "I see a feint green glow up ahead!" he said surprisedly. "What do you think that is?"

Taranza was starting to get worried. "Maybe we should turn back. I don't want to get caught up in another do-or-die situation."

"Don't be a baby," said Knuckle Joe. He and Dedede rushed over to the green light with Taranza worriedly behind them on the trail.

The light was being emitted from a door with shutters over the square glass wingo.

"This is some major findings…" sayd Joe. "I wonder why the policemen haven't checked here yet."

"Maybe, they already know what the glow is," said Dedede. "Maybe its just some stage prop that they couldn't figure out how to turn off."

"That's to convenient. I think Kirby High School is hiding something…" said Knuckle Joe. He slowly turned the knob. It was unlocked.

"Shall we enter?" said Taranza.

"We have to now," said Knuckle Joe.

So the three friends went in and what they saw next was a horrible revelation.

There were large glass tubes lining up all the walls of the room inside. Each tube was filled with green juice. Some were empty, with nothing but the fluid; however, some tubes also had a black swirling object inside them.

"What are these things?" Knuckle Joe asked as he studied the swirls.

"They look like energy," said Taranza. "But they seem to be outside of their natural vessel, like when steam escapes a kettle."

"Wvry interesting," said Dedede as he felt Solomonic being with such conflicting mindsets in the same room.

"It's neat and all, but why here in Kirby High School?" said Taranza. He looked down at a clipboard on the table. He and Dedede went over to pick it up and red it.

There was a lot of data and math on the clipboard. But one thing that stood out most prominnn ly was the fact that Burning Leo's signichur and birthday was on it.

"So Burning Leo is behind this!" said Dedede. But how come nobody's ever found this weird room?"

"Maybe the police are investigating it now," said Taranza suggesting.

Knuckle Joe bit his lip. He then backed up. "There is a stinkin label on the tube! Read it!"

Dedede and Taranza drew near and took look at the tube in front. They read one. And then they were shocked.

"Soul 4567: Fluff"

"What in the world?" said Dedede shocked. "Is that black sphere what I think it is?" said Dedede.

"I think is ti. I think that its Prince Fluff's soul!" said Knuckle Joe.

Taranza looked over at the other tubes. "Oh no! That one says Susanna!"

Dedede saw another. "And that one says Tiff!"

"A soul-stealer!" said Knuckle Joe.

"But who would do such a horrible thing?" asked Taranza as he gasped at one that said "Bandana Waddle Dee".

Dedede snapped his fingers. "The murderer! It's all adds up!"

"But why would Burning Leo do this, and how did he not get caught, especially with so many polices everywhere at the school?" asked Knuckle Joe.

Suddenly the door creaked. Everyone turned around in surprised with tears in some of their eyes due to seeing such torture. There in the doorway stiod a man.

"Kirby!" cried Dedede.

"Poyo!" squeaked Kirby with a dopey smile. He was just as oblivious as always…


	22. QUEST FOR UNISON

CHAPTER 22: QUEST FOR UNISON

Knuckles crossed his arms and tossed his hair back in disbelief. "Isn't Kirby one the side of the policemen?" asked Knuckle Joe.

"True, but I think he's safe because Kirby is a better freelancer," said Dedede. "He always acted on his own win when I was king of Dreamland."

POyo!" said Kirby. He excitedly flicked his arms holding the sword still.

"Kirby says that he's finally gotten ahold of us," taranza translated. "He found out about this room earlier and has been hideing it from the policemn. He wanted to show us and not anyone else."

"Why us?"

"Poyo," said Kirby.

"Because Kirby knows we're the last trustworthy people in this school that haven't been killed our have gone to the dark side." Tanranza translated.

"Poyo."

"And Kirby says he couldn't trust the likes of Magolor or Marx. The police aren't trustworthy because he thinks they won't deal with these tubes seriously."

"How dangerous is our situation anyways?" asked Dedede.

Kirby frowned and trotted up to a tube. He banged on the glass, and everyone noticed that the soul moved a little bit in response.

"Of course, if the police got in hear, they might disrupt the souls," said Knuckle Joe. "If they're kept safe, then theres a chance we can get them back in their bodies and revie thems."

Dedede remembered that he had Fluff and Dee's bodies in his fridge for safekeeper.

"Poyo!" said Kirby exitedly.

Taranza frowned. "But we have no idea how to reverse the effects of the soul-stripping."

"Then how do we do?" asked Knuckle Joe.

Dedede made a really angry face. "I'll tell you what we're gonna do!" Dedede grabbed the clipboard. "You guys are gonna stay here and prevent the policemen from discovering this room. I'm leaving to find Magolor."

"Magolor?" said everyone, even Kirby in his poyo speekc.

"Yes, he's our only hope in finding Burning Leo, and he still owes me a favour for what he did to my big brother Mr.

So Dedede exited the school secretively. And made it back to Magolor's dupster. But he did not find Magolor. He made mad. And he wished he found him.

"Where could he ebb?" Dedede questioned to himself.

Dedede tried downtown at the soda shop where Magolor used to take out his dead girlfriend Tiff. He didn't find her there but he did find Kawasaki, who ran the shop.

"What's up, Sire?" asked the potato-shape cook. He was busy cleaning a dish with a rag and waiter.

Dedede sat down on his stool and thought deeply. "Kawasaki, have you seen Magolor anymore?'

"Oh, Magolor just stopped by a couple a hours a go!" said Kawaasai cheerfully. Do you need to ifnd him?"

Dedede got really exited. "Yeah, I do despereately. E hoped on the desk and banged his fists with agency.

Kawasaki was surprised. "Okay, but first I need a favour from you, Sire!"

Dedede saw the smug look on Kawasaki's face. "I'm a feeling I am going to regret this…"

Kawasaki took out a piece of paper and a pen. "This is a legal document. When you sign this, you will give me 10,000,000 dollars!"

"I am exchanging this for imformation?" asked Dedede for reconfirmation.

"Yeah, Sire!" said Kawasaki and Dedede signed the check. Kawasaki then told Dedede where Magolor was.

Dedede found him right there. He standing rght outside the hospital where Marx was being kept.

"Magolor…" said Dedede.

Magolor turned his eyes but not the rets of him. He could tell it was Dedede, by his voice. "I am not apologising for what sin I commited, Dedede," he said gothically.

Dedede then remembered what Knuckle Joe had said about Magolor changing his name to Magothic. He got closer and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Magothic, I know you hate us, but we need you for one last mission," said Dedede like a brother to Magolor.

Magolor heard his new name and turned to Dedede. "What do you want?" he said in a rude tongue.

"Dude, we found the TRUE murderer. If you help us capture him, there may be a chance that we can revive Tiff."

Magolol's face lit up. He turned away feeling his angst. "I'm suspicious of you Dedede. I think you're "brother" is the murderer." Magolor took the pistol out of his picket. "I was gonna go finish my holy duty."

Dedede eyes him and did a serious hold to his shoulder. "Please, Magothic. You and I both know that you're just as much my brother as Marx is."

Magolor sighed. "Fine, but stop calling me Magothic. This stunt better payoff or its gonna be you head!"


	23. MAN DOWN

CHAPTER 23: MAN DOWN

Dedede and Magolor snuck back into the school using leftover web rope they found from Taranza. They entered the building and got to the glowing green room. Dedede noticed that the door was locked. He couldn't open it at all.

"It won't budge! I think my friends are still in there!" cried Dedede.

"Stand back," said Magolor as he took out his gun and shot the doorknob off the door.

Dedede covered his ears at sound of the shot. "Are you crazy? We are gonna have the policemen hear us now and they'll come rushing over!"

Magolor holstered his weapon. "Don't worry, the policemen wont be expecting someone with a gun because there were never any gunshot wounds present at the murder scenes."

"But what if ther still hear us?" asked Dedede with worry.

"I think they'll search the other rooms first. The seem to be avoiding this hallway for some reason…"

Dedede was shocked to hear this, but it was true. Why didn't the policemen keep constant surveillance on this particular area? The green glow was so obvious.

MAgolor greeked the door open and stepped into inside. He stepped in and saw horror that made him gasp aplenty. There were rows of green liquid tubes everywhere. He noticed the labels of his deceased friends and was especially taken aback by Tiff's tube.

"Yo Joe and Taranza!" called Dedede upon entering. "Where are you guys?"

There was no response, but Kirby was still in the room hunched over the table whining sad noises. Dedede and Magolor approached.

"Poyo…" said Kirby weakly. He had lost his sword ability.

"Who did this to you Kirby?" asked Dedede with fear in his young eyes meeting Kirby's defeated warrior look. "Where are my friends too?" he asked.

"This is ravaging darkness…" said Magolor with fear arupting in his eyes. "We have to get out of here before its too late!"

"No! Not without Knuckle Joe and Taranza!" cried Dedede with tears in his eyes. "We have to rescue these souls too!"

"We can't do this now!" said Magolor as he backed away holding his gun. "There is something supernatural going on in this school, Dedede!"

"Magolor! Snape out of it!" roared the teen king as he swatted his egg-like cohort across the face with his backhand. He grabbed Magolor by the shoulder parts and shook him. "Don't be scared! We will save them together!"

Magolor had tears in his eyes. "Dedede, we are just kids. Whoever did this has kidnapped the others and hurt Kirby! We can't possibly match that kind of strength!" Magolor dropped his blasting and it fell to the ground crying.

Dedede shooked his heads. "We can't give up!" He turned to Kirby and helped him up. He wished Taranza was here to translate Kirby's speech so he could find out what happened.

"Poyo…" Kirby coughed.

"Its all right Kirby. We are here to save you!" said Dedede.


	24. RETURN OF THE KNIGHT

CHAPTER 24: RETURN OF THE KNIGHT

"Poyo…" Kirby snored.

Magolor gasped. "What was that he just said?"

"You speak his language?" gasped Dedede.

"Not exactly, but I understood roughly what he just said there. He said something in my native language of Halicandrian."

"What does it mean?" said Dedede with sweat forming along his brow.

"Poyo…" Kirby said in the same way.

Magolor held his head in fear and sat down. "I don't know what he's saying but it sounds so horrifying for some reason!"

"Why is Kirby murmuring about something like that in his sleep?" asked Dedede worriedly.

Magolor scratched the top of his head. "Dedede, I don't think Kirby High School is an actual school…"

"Than what—"

"Hey, you three!" called a policeman from the door. "What do you think you're doing in there?"

"Run!" cried Magolor, Dedede picked up Kirby piggyback and they all ran out of the room between the guard.

The policeman took out his gun and fired. Magolor deflected the shot with a shot from his own bullet. Dedede was pretty amazed by the pinpoint accuracy of Magolor's shot, but had not the time to marvel excessively. They had to run away as fast at they could.

The policeman took out his transceiver. "This is Watchdog B. The truth has been uncovered! Surround Kirby High School and procure the intruders! Negligence will not be tolerated!"

Dedede and Magolor ran as fast as they could to escape the policemen who sudden gave chase. They drew their weapons like guns and batons. They were going to kill them.

Dedede held the unconscious Kirby tight in his arms. He wished he would wake up and use his great abilities to deal with the enemies like he did back during Dedede's adult years.

Magolor got angry. "My bullets are depleted. If we get cornered, it'll be all over, Deeds," he said still slightly gothicly.

And just like that, they did meet a dead end. "Bloody turnips…" growled Magolor. "We're totally dead."

Dedede heard the authority footsteps approach like imperial storm troopers. The only thing that could be worse was if the murder arrived to finish off the last remaining witnesses.

"There you are, lads," said a policeman as he approached. Three more followed in and pointed their weapons ar Dedede and Magolor and kirBy.

Dedede and Mogolor putted hands up and were crying. The serious things they had witnessed all day today were emotionally hurting them. They were just kinds after all.

"You two have caused nothing but trouble in dreamland for the past several weeks. It's time to end this," said the policeman and he cocked his gun. Then he fired and a shot hit Dedede in the foot.

Or did it?

The policeman opened his visor in astonishment. "How is this so? My shots are so accurate?"

Just then a black cloak whisked around the trio of heroes and unveiled itself to the pursuers.

"Meta Knight!" cried Dedede.

Yes, the star warrior swordsman was finally back and ready to serve his master once again. "This is unfair, even for the likes of you, sire," said Meta Knight to his teenage royal.

"Why are you back so soon? I thought you was be gone for a whole month," said Dedede in exapsortation.

"Yes, I was… until the incident…" He eyed the guards savagely. "Leave now or die by my righteous blade…"

The policemen cocked their guns and aimed at Meta Knight. Meta Night absorbed the bulets into his cape and flung them back at their guns. The guns blew up and then Meta Knight swooped forward and hit the policemans with the dull part of his blade, knocking them out. "That was a warning…"

Magolor was amazed by Meta Knight's chivalry.

"Meta Knight, terrible things have happened since you left!" said Dedede with tears of exhaustion in his eyes.

"I know," Meta Knight said as he sheathed his blade. "I heard about what was going on. Appraently someone has been waiting eagerly for my departure. Sword and Blade contacted me to tell me of the sudden disappearance of student's lifes. Then I heard Susie was killed and I had to immediately come back."

Dedede thought about how Meta Knight must have had a crush on the principle, but didn't want to say anything if he was wrong because then Meta Kight might have killed him.

"Well, we found lots of weird stuff in the school." Said Magolor. "There are green takes of fluyd and our friend's souls have been entered into them."

Meta Knight took a breath of sigh. "It's just as I feared." Meta Knight beckoned for the others to follow him to the tube room. "We have no time to waste."

"Meta Knight…" Dedede said worriedly. "Kirby is hurt. He won't wake up."

Meta Knight placed a hand on Kirby's forehead. "He's burning up. I think he caught a fever."

"He lost his copy ability, so he must have fought someone!"

"And lost," finished Magolor.

"Yes, I am aware. I sensed his vitality drop recently. I didn't think things were going to get this bad." Says meta Knight.

"Meta Knight, what is happening?" said Dedede.

Meta Knight sighed and continued his walk toward the lab. "War."


	25. WAR

CHAPTER 25: WAR

 **WARNING: Timskip! This chapter takes place six months after the last one**

It was a calm, cool spring day. The scents of April were in the air lke dewy grass, blooming flours, and lightly drawn clouds. It would all seem like the perfect setting for the untrained eye.

That's where the line must be drawn. The world wasn't perfect and nobody was more aware than the students of Kirby High School. Since that fateful day a ways back, things had gotten much more rigid in trems of the educational structure. Meta Knight was the new principle and the curriculum had but one fundamental: SURVIVAL.

Dedede and Taranza spared with one another in the gymnasium. Dedede used his hammer expertly, while Taranza punched with six-times the power thanks to his limb assets.

Magolor sat in a corner with Knuckles Joe and relaxed. Tuff was there too and he was running laps around the place and getting faster and faster with every run. Mr. Rick was timing Tuff and was very satisfactory on his face due to tuff's increasing speed and velociry.

Adeleine was reading a book and the other kids were on the bleachers working on their school training.

Meta Knight walked into the gynmain with Sword and Dave by his side. He seemed to smile behind his mask as he observed how all the kids was doing. He did seem a bit disgruntled about Dedede's progress though.

"I'm disappointed in myself," said Dedede with a long exhausted sigh. "When we had the crisis that way back, I could not fight back. Even now I still seem to have very little experience in handling opponents in this tiny body." Dedede used to be a good warrior, but now he was so out of his element that it wasn't even funny.

"You are indeed trash," said Magolor like a total jerk.

Dedede growled, but didn't care much because he knew Magolor was always like this.

Taranza saluted to Meta Knight as he approached. Everybody and Meta Knight still thought taranza was kind of a nerd. At least he and Joe got saved by Meta Knight that one fateful night when Kirby got the snot kicked out of him.

"Speaking of witch," said Dedede aloud. "How is Kirby doing?"

Meta Knight sighed deeply and turned away. "He is still not waking up… We may need to use a defibrillator." He then left the room.

Dedede was gonna cry, but the training made him too tough. He went back to his room.

Now that the entire planet was on the verge of a perilous war, Kirby High School had been converted into a training academy for warriors, the same type that Star Warriors had trained in in the early ages.

Due to school bein a house for training with less math, clubs, and prom, most rooms that were non-academic were converted to living quarters with cots and dressers. The kids learning lived here until they were prepared to join the Dreamland army, which unfortunately was mostly made up of King Dededes Waddle Dees.

Dedede lawed on his bed and popped in his airbuds. He listed to Gorillaz from their latest album and went to sleep with the sweet sounds of 2D in his mind, lulling him to slep like a baby penguin.

Escargoon knocked on his door and Dedede left him inside. "I'm proud of you, sire. You are really being someone who can make Dreamland better. I never thought you'd learn discipline."

Dedede gave his snail guardian a rising eyebrow. "Shove a sock in it, Escargon! I know you can't wait for me to die in the frontlins to so you can steal the thrown still!"

Escarfoon took his hands out and sweated profusely. "I am totally over all that, Sire!" he reassured with a genuine look of apology. "That was before you became so mature. It's like this you is more grown up than the grown up you!"

Dedede examined his strong arms, he wasn't as fat as usually, even for his penguin genetics. He could tell he was actually becoming nobler now. He seemed happy for once in his life.

"I'm proud to be your righthand man, Sire," said Escargoon with a salute," said Escargoon. He almost looked like he was crying. He gave Dedede a kind fatherly hug and left the room. Dedede waved "good-bye".

Right as Escargoon slid out the door, Knuckle Joe came barreling in and slammed his schoolwork on his bed next to Dedede's. "Yo!" said Dedede.

"No time to talk, I gotta do this history report quick!" said Joe in educated exhaustion.

"A paper? Why?" said Dedede. He thought all normal school was eliminated in favour of working for the correct army strengths.

"Well, some of us aren't gonna end up as fighters in the army. Some of us are going to be weapons analysts and stuff."

Dedede was ashoked to hear Knucle Joe of all people say something like this. "But even before the war, you were the best fighter anyone ever knew in this school. You won, like, five karate torments."

"Yeah, but a lot can change, Dedede. As it turns out, I'm more reliable with my mind as I am with my fists. Mr. Curio says I will most likely be chosen to work in the labs and repair weapons and vehicles."

Dedede thought somewhat sadly about this. He knew he himself was going to fight hand-to-hand with the enemy, but he had never once thought about all his friends' position.s

"I might never see Adeleine again…" Dedede said sadder.

Knuckle Joe let out a snarky laugh that was not too mean. "It's okay, she still never forgave you back then so she won't miss you. You ought to at least say your sorry before one of you dies though."

Dedede thought even sadder things after he heard Knuckle Joe say that. But it was so true. They might not have as much time together as previously thought. Dedede slid his earbuds back in and helped Knuckle Joe with his homework.

Meanwhile, Escargoon was in the hallway listening to what Dedede and Knuckle Joe were talking about. He smiled and went down the hall to the cafeteria.


	26. A SNAIL'S PACE

CHAPTER 26: A SNAIL'S PACE

"Hungry?" asked Chef Kawasaki as he handed Escargoon one of the last bowls of crème brulee.

"I don't know…" said Escargoon. "Just give me some raspberry seltzer."

Kawasaki put on a worried expression. "That has sodium in it you know…"

"So does crème brulee," said Escargoon and he got the seltzer and downed the whole thing in one go. "Over the course of my training, snails like me had to learn to tolerate sodium in order to make us stronger for all terrain warfare."

"I see, but I didn't really need to know that," said Kawasaki. "Why are you so daring tonight? Usually you never want to get near my cooking. Heh, nobody does…"

Escargoon chuckled. "Yeah, but its not a big deal no more."

"What's going on?" said Kawasaki.

"Dedede is such a… good guy now. I think he's the best kid I know. Hes so kind and honest… He's like a totally different person. Old Dedede was such a rump…" said Escargoon. "I treated him so rudely at first and now… I may never have a chance to repay for how I acted."

"I t was suitable payback for how he treated you before though," said Kawasaki. That's one way of looking at it."

"Yeah, but not good enough," Escargoon saw Adeleine sitting at a table alone, reading her books. Escargoon got up from his stool and walked over to join her.

"What's the matter, Mr. Escargoon?" asked Adeleine looking up form book.

Escagroon patted Adeleine's hat. "Everything is fine Adaleine. But there's one thing you need to know."

Adeleine rolled her eyes. "Is this another boring war lecture. I've heard about fifty of them from Kit Cosmos today already…"

"It's about Dedede," said Escargoon.

"Oh… that idiot…"

"You need to talk to him and say 'hi' or smething," said Escargoon.

"I don't want to. He is a total dweebface. I would n't be sad if I never saw that billed butthead ever again, you know?"

Escargoon swallowed hard. "Adeleine, you don't understand. That time may come sooner than you think. When the results are in for the last battle, either one of you could be drafted to join the forces. It could happen to anyone here."

"I know that…"

"Then you should talk to Dededede at least once. You'll regret it if you don't," said Escargoon. He got up and left the table. "Don't let your first arguement be your last encounter. You might never see what ends up happening that is good in your futures together."

With that Escargoon left the cafetria and went into the gymnasium where he saw Gus shooting hoops. "Nice throws, boy," said Escargoon with a smile.

"Thanks," said Gus. He shoot another hoops.

"Are you and the others ready?" asked Escargoon.

"We leave in ten minutes. Did you say your 'good-byes'?"

Escargoon sighed. "I did all I could."

"Good."

And so, Gus and Escagroon headed out side in the rain and loaded up a big bulletproof truck. Chief Bookem was in the front seat, singing "Convoy" by CW McNall.

Escargoon got into the passenger seat and putted on his metal helmet.

 _Good-bye, Kirby High School…_ Escargoon whispered in his mind.

The car drived off to the battlefields.


	27. THE UNKNOWN

CHAPTER 27: THE UNKNOWN

Dedede waked up at 4 A.M. in the morning and went to brush his teeth and shave. Magolor, Knuckle Joe, Taranza, and Tuff were doing their daily duties too.

"Whatever happened to Lololo and Lalala?" asked Taranza as he peeled potatoes.

"He was sent into the fray last night." Said Tuff slightly sadly, but not as sad as when hes sister died.

Taranza gasped and drooped his peeler. "What in tarnation!" said Knuckle Joe. "But they are jut kids! I thought only the adults were being sent off last night."

"Yeah, but that only applyes to the frontlines," said Tuff. "Lololo and Lalala were really reliable as massagers so they are going to be lick carrying pidgeons," said Tuff.

"What a harsh world we live in these days…" muttered Magolor as he washed his hands, contrary to his personalitiy, Magolor didn't like to get his hands dirty.

Dedede was shocked to hear this too, but he knew it was for the best.

"Who are the adults that got sent out?" asked Taranza.

"Some high quality meat for sure," snickered Magolor rudely.

"That isn't very nice, Magolor," said Taranza.

"Jokes on you, lamebrain! Your girlfriend was the highest quality!"

"Shut up! You know I'm sensitive about that!"

Magolor felt a bit bad about what he had just blurted out. "Sorry…"

Taranza shot his a dirty look and picked up his peeler. He resume the peeling.

Dedede finished up and went to school where he learnt archery all day. He worked with Gooey and Pitch and Spynum was their teacher. Dedede was pretty could with launching, but had a hard time knocking and positioning his arms.

It wasn't hard for everyone else so Deedede felt like a total failure.

"Don't feel bad, Dedede. You're hammer powers are amazing. Just ask anyone." Said Spynum to Dedede with assurance.

"Thank you for being friendly, but we all know here that I am a total loser at all the battle stuff…" Dedede sighed.

Magolor and the others watched from the bleachers and felt really bad for Dedede. "We need to boost his comfidence." Said Knuckle Joe, reading his study guide.

"He'll never learn unless he get his butt kicked," said Magolor. "That's how it was for me, that is how it will be for everyone else."

"Not everyone is you, Magolor," said Taranza. He was over their prior squabble.

Magolor leaned back and stretched. "You'll see I;m right went it's my turn, eight eyes."

Meanwhile, Meta Knight was in the infirmiry with Dr. Yabui. They were staring at Kirby in his bed, still out like a light. He had not woken since that fateful day six months ego. The only thing that happened with him was that he occasionally spouted a "poyo" from his mouth.

"He's still muttering something about carnage?" said Meta Knight.

"Yes, and according to the graph, it's the only thing his neural pasaages manage to stay focussed on." Dr. Yabui showed Meta Knight the graphs.

"Ah… Poor Kirby," said Meta Knight to the sleeping pink sphere. "He's our only hope. Not ony is he the strongest asset our side has, but he is also the only one who has any idea as to what exactly is going on out there."

"Meta Knight, what do you know from recon?" said Dr. Yabui.

Meta Knight shrugged sweatingly. "Not much. From what we hear, the enemy uses vast amounts of otherwordy legions. Waddle-Dee-like pawns and Scarfies with more ferocious tendencies are among some of the horrors awaiting us on the frontlines. I haven't a clue as to to how many other horors await us."

"It's like when you first meet Mr. Frosty…" said Sword. "First all of the enemies seem simple, and then there's a much bigger one in the same room with ya that turns out to be leagues more difficult."

"Exactly," nodded Blade.

"One thing is for sure," said Meta Knight. "Without Kirby, all of Popstar is doomed…"


	28. GOOD NEWS?

CHAPTER 28: GOOD NEWS?

"Everyone siy down and shut up!" shouted the teacher at the microphone on stage. It was Mabel and she looked overworked and tired. Everyone was tired, but not as much as mabel because she had to do a lot of paperwork.

"This auditorium has pretty sick acoustics," said Magolor with his hands behind his head resting. "We should start a band: Magolor and the Heartcrushers."

"I call bass!" said Tuff.

"SHH!" shushed Knuckle Joe. "I don't want o get in trouble tonight! I have a lot of homework after this!"

"Quiet!" roared Mabel.

Everyone finally shut their mouths.

"Good!" said Mabel. She immediately passed out and fell off the stage. Everyone screamed.

Mr. Curio and Rick rushed over to carry her to her room. "Get some ice!" cried Coo as he flew over.

"Dang… the teachers are overworking themselves to the point of past their limits," said Magolor. "They must be uber desperate…"

"What do you think she was gonna say?" asked Taranza.

"Well, this is a fine mesa…" muttered Meta Knight. He got up on stand and tapped the microphone. "Hello? Is this thing on?"

"Dude, that guy is smart with battle, but surely dumb with technology…" grumbled Magolor.

Meta Knight grabbed the microphone like he was going to sing a song or two. "Hello, class. This is your principal Meta Knight with an important announcement," said the swordsman. "Ms. Mabel was about to tell you all the news, but unfortunately she is very exhausted from all the work she had to forgo last night."

"This guy keep talkin' and talkin'," blahed Tuff.

"Tonight there has been a shocking discovery," said Meta Knight. The whole room got bustling with wonders and conclusion jumping.

"Who died?"

"Who is the murderer?"

"What assignments do we have to do now?"

"Where are the bad guys?"

"Are you trusting of us?"

Meta Knight roared into the microphone to everyone to shut up at once! "I will tell you the details of our recent findings!" Meta Knight received a clipboard from Coo.

Everyone in the auditorium gulped in unison, afraid of what Meta Knight's new news was abot.

"The squad that got deployed yesterday has discovered an enemy base. It is a large castle that is almost the same size as King Dedede's.

"Wow! Who built it so fast?" worried Pitch.

"The team is going to infiltrate the base tonight. Keep in mind that if there is to be a victory tonight, it won't mean much of anything unless we find out who's controlling the enemy units."

"The murderer…" mumbled Dedede under his breath, just loud enough for Taranza and Magolor to hear.

"We need to find the identity of their leader. Only then will everything all make better sense. You are dismissed. Go back to your quarters." Meta Knight waved his hand and everyone dispersed.

Dedede and Knuckle Joe waved to their friends and walked off. Before Dedede was around the corner, Magolor tapped him on the shoulder to signal him. "Hey, you need to meet me in classroom 2B after dinner."

"Why?" asked Dedede surprised to see how serious Magolor's face looked.

"I can't tell you now. Swear that you will be there."

"Okay…"

Magolor turned away and went back to his room with Taranza.

What did Magolor want with Dedede this time? Was it time once again to get into a fistfight? He wure hoped not…


	29. CONFESSIONS

CHAPTER 29: CONFESSIONS

"Hey, I'm here?" said Dedede as he trudged over to Magolor after slowly closeing the door shut.

Magolor was relaxing on a desk while looking outside the window at the clouds dancing along the night sky.

"Magolor?"

"Yeah… yeah… I can hear you…" He turned to Dedede and waved. "yo."

"Magolor, is something wrong. You seem so mellow after Meta Knight's speech."

Magolor sighed. "Deddede. Have you heard anything about your "brother" recently?"

Dedede was shocked to hear Magolor ask such responisbile and caring questions. "Magolor… I don't know…"

"You haven't seen him since the last time you visited him in the hospital," said Magolor slowly. "That wasn't long before you uncovered the nasty truth about the souls."

"Yeah… but why do you care about Marx all of a suden?"

"Believe me… I couldn't care less about what happens to him. I still don't like him…"

"Well, he seemed to like you…"

"Will you shut up and stop changing the subject like some kind of dull thinker?" Magolor hiked off of his desk and hovered over to Dedede. He got up close and looked deep into Dedede's eyes. "You know what's going on, don't you?"

"What?"

"This whole war? It's a ruse."

Dedede was annoyed. "People are truly dying out there, Magolor. Everything is totally real. Why else is everyone missing?"

"You don't get it because you have too thick of skin. You don't see what is being hidden from you."

"Stop talking like such a lame-o conspiracy theorist. They are such losers on the internet! Don't imitate them like a bicycle!"

"I'm not imitating conspiracy theorists!" growled Magolor and she slapped Dedede on the beak. "Listen, you whelp! Do you have any idea how crazy it is that no one knows who the murderer is to this day?"

"Don't hit me! Yeah, I know that it's crazy that he's still unknown identity."

"Exactly, how can someone own a whole side of the war and no one knows who he is. I'm telling you… Meta Knight and the others know something we don't and their gonna do their best to hide it because the war is necessary."

"You're out of your mind…"

"Why else do you think their keeping Kirby all cooped up in the ER?" Magolor hit the board with his hard fist and it cracked a little. He was so overcome with ire.

"I will report you if you keep acting like this, Magolor," said Dedede bravely.

"I'll shoot you if you do that," said Magolor angrily.

Dedede gasped.

"I'm sorry…" said Magolor. He slowly fell to the ground and began crying. "I'm sorry for everything I do…"

"Don't worry. You are still my good friend, Magolor. Nothing will ever change that."

"No… I'm sorry because I'm never going to be useful to any of you! I should have stayed Magothic and gotten my butt off this planet!"

"Magolor, you need to stop worrying! You're bette off whith guys like us."

"NO! I'M NOT! I'm not good with you!" Magolor slammed the ground furiously. "I'm going to die and it's all your fault! Dedede! I didn't want to have to tell you this, but I saw Marx talking to Meta Knight today and he's going to kill us all!"

"What!"


	30. THE SHOT RETOLD

CHAPTER 30: THE SHOT RETOLD

Dedede gouldn't believe what he was hearing. "Marx, my big brother? He's alive?"

Magolor turned his head up to Dedede with a sour face. "Yes, he's stinkin' alive, doofus."

"How? How did you find out?"

"You idiot! Wounds heal, and Marx's situation has been kept hush-hush for an obserd amount of time. Don't you think that's a little suspicious."

"But dude you shot him with a real bullet!" said Dedede surprised.

"Yeah, but there was one problem… I never told you about this…" Magolor rubbed the top of his head nervously. "I pulled back… I purposefully missed that day."

"You what?"

"It was supposed to be a warning shot… but I accidentally hit him. I wasn't even aiming for him…"

"Then how did this happen?"

"Dedede, I thing Marx took the bullet on purpose. I think he did it because he saw me as a threat?"

"Because you're strong?"

Magolor blushed and thought about how big his muscles would be if he had arms and maybe legs. "I don't think it was because of my strength. I think it was because Marx knew I would catch on faster than you or Taranza. He wanted to make sure I couldn't be trusted ever again."

"That's bizarre though. Surely you must have had your brain in a scary place. Maybe you did truthfully hit him." Says Dedede.

"No," said Magolor with a sigh and he shuffled back to the desks and sat down to catch his breath.

"But why would he think injuring himself would be a good idea?"

"You really are stupid, Dedede…" groaned Magolor. He beat the table with his mighty fist. "Marx was never hurt! Guns don't affect him. He's a trickster and a lot more durable than he looks. He only put on that act to get you to accept him as your peer."

"That's so strange, but it does make sense based off of your evidence." Said Dedede. "But what about the other thing yu said. Is Meta Knight and Marx working together to kill everyone?"

"That's my second point…" Magolor sighed. He felt very uncomfortable. "Promise me you won't tell Knuckle Joe about this. It'll be to hard for you to say everything right."

"Dal."

"Good, I'll tell Taranza myself later…" Magolor leaned forward. "I'm gonna tell you about my day yesterday. Are you ready?"

"Yes?" Dedede said unsure, feeling like he was being interrogated in a RPG.

"Then let me recollect…"


	31. SECRETS

CHAPTER 31: SECRETS

"Ya'll peel potatoes slower than my grandma!" laughed Magolor.

Tranza growled and continued hischore. "Why don't you do something useful with your life, Magolro? Go to the shooting range or something!"

"It'd love to, but I'm lazy!" laughed Magolor. He then looked over at his gun on the table. "Besides, Kit Cosmos told me to lay off the shooting today. He says it is ibad for my mental state to always be driven to violence. I guess I agree. I certainly wasn't enjoying my time back when I went nuts over tiff's death."

"That certainly was sad," said Tuff, Tiff's mourning brother still.

"It's okay, as long as she can't date Goo Boy and more!" Magolor joked, but then felt a little bad because he said this in front of Tuff. Mgolor accused himself to get to the vending machines. He wanted a cherry soda.

Magolor was in the hallway and then he put a coin in the vending machine. He then got a cheery soda which he tipped into under his scarf. Nobody had ever seen his true mouth and it was a secret he wanted to have until the end of time. He would never even kiss his own wife. He marched down the hall back to the chore room and slammed the empty soda can on his top skull, crushing it like a total strong weightlifting man.

He then heard a familiar voice that caught his attention mysteriously.

"Surely, that can't be all they're good for…" said a deep voice with a Spanish accent.

"Meta Knight? Who's that he's taking to?" said Magolor as he peered around the corner. He gasped when he saw Marx just standing there with a sly smirk. Luckily they both didn't notice him. He hid behind a plant.

"Of course, it's all their good for. If we don't cause enough strife amonst this domain, then carnage will never be begot," said Marx with a crude sneer in his tone.

"What?' said Magolor with listing ears.

"I know it's the only way to produce te fruits of our labour, but they are just children at the end of the day. It's enough that we have to sacrifice so many seasoned warriors as is," said Meta Knight.

"Who cares?" said Marx. "When their dead, their dead. Ain't no skin off my nose," said Marx.

"You don't even have a nose…" said Muta MNight.

"Noseless… what a pity…" Marx grinned and leaned into Meta Knight. "Anyway hotshot, what about that wad of chewing gum. Has he been taken care of?"

"Yes, Kirby still sleeps. We are doing ou best to make sure he doesn't wake until all is said and done."

"When all is said and done, nothing will be left but carnage. Then we can finally put an end to their miserable existence!" Marx snickered. He then grew a shining pair of wings and dove into the ground, disappearing at once. Meta Knight turned and left too, but then he saw the plant shake. He swung his sword and destrored the plant, but nothing was behind it. Meta Knight was suspices.

Magolor flew as fast as he could back to the chore room. Everyone saw him and were annoyed by him, but concerned. "What's wrong?" asked Taranza.

Magolor gulped and scratched his top head. "Nothing… I'm just on a sugar rush."

"You and your soda," said Tuff. "My sister would have so berated you for drinking that stuff so much."

"Can we just get back to the part where you do things and I make fun of you?" whined Magolor.


	32. ONE LAST CHANCE

CHAPTER 32: ONE LAST CHANCE

Dedede sat in his bedroom and mused the things Magolor had said to him. He tried to keep his mind off of the madness, listening to 21 Pilots CDs on his iPhone and browsing memes on the internet. Just normal high schooler stuff.

But Dedede was not a normal highschooler. He never was. And now things were to crazy in the world to even make that a truth had he never aged backwards.

"I gotta get out of hear…" he said with tears. He looked over at Knuckle Joe sleeping on his textbooks, tired from all his professional work.

Dedede slipped on his jacket and sneaked out of his bedroom with a backpack stuffed with food and waters. He tiptoed out of the entire area, not waking anyone, not even the teachers.

Dedede had finally made it outside and in front of him was just the gate. "I can escape for sure…"

"Dedede, is that you?" asked a familiar voice.

"Adeleine!" cried dedede as he said the girl approached.

"What are you doing out here?" asked Adeleine.

"I…" Dedede tried to come up with a lie, but he knew Adeleine would know he was not telling a truth.

"You're sneaking out?" said Adeleine with a sly eyebrow. "I knew you couldn't handle the pressure."

"How you know?" said Dedede flabbergasted.

"I knew because I felt the same exact way just now. I was gonna escape too."

"Why?"

"Because theirs noting for me to live for here. A lot of people I know are just being trained for he war. We don't even know if we'll even see them again."

"I know. It's so cruel that even kids like us have to be into the war too." Dedede sat down with adeleine on the bench and they looked at the moon together.

"So, are we gonna escape or not?" asked Adeleine.

"I don't think its up to me to make the decision for you. Just for me," replied Dedede.

"I'm totally leaving, if you are," said Adeleine. "It's just as dangerous sticking around in Kirby High School as it is in the war itself. If we leave now, theirs a chance we can survive in hiding until the war ends!"

Dedede sighed to his right shoulder, away from adeleine. He feeled conficting. "That's not going to work, Ad," says Dedede.

"What are you talking about?" I'm a really good survivalist back when I was in scouts. Between that and the training we've gotten so far, we can totally surive a long while." Adeleine thought that Dedede might be worried about himself and his own shortcoming.s

"It's okay, dedede," said Adeline. "You've gotten much stronger too and I hear you've taken hits from Kirby in the past without dying. You are more stronger than you think. You are also probably a lot more brave too!"

"No, Adeleine," Dedede groaned. "You don't understand… This war is never going to end…"

"Sure it will."

Dedede grabbed Adeleine by the soldiers. "No, it won't. There's no hope for this world anymore. Something bigger than the two of us is going on."

Adeleine shook Dedede of and punched him his in the face. "Listed bucko! Maybe you're a pessimist, but I'm going to survive even if it kills me." She ran towards the gate and climbed over it with he bags.

Dedede gasped and ran over to the gate. "Aeline!" he cried. She turned. "I'm sorry…"

"I'm through with your annoying attitude, Dedede. You act like you've been changed from your king days, but your still just a loser bum who only thinks about himself. I'm leaving because we need a change. I'm going to use my time to pave the way to survivors on the outsied. You better man up!"

And with that, Adeleine was really gone forever…


	33. SQUAD 13

CHAPTER 33: SQUAD 13

Dedede woke up in his bed and Knuckle Joe was already gone. "Why did I come back?" Dedede said to himself.

Dedede and the others had their classes. Taranza and Maolor seemed quite different in their acting behaviours. Things were no longer standard.

"Why so glum chums?" asked Tuff at Lunch. He and Knuckle Joe sat down next to Taranza, Dedede, and Magolor.

Magolor shoved his spoon into his meatloaf and whined. "Nothin' I just hate meatloaf."

"Classic Magolor!" laughed Knuckle Joe.

Dedede eyed Knuckle Joe seriously. "Adeleine laft last knight…" he said in s somber tone.

Everyone looked really surprised by this.

"Like, left left? Where did she go, dude?" asked Tuff.

"I saw her outside and she climbed the fence. She said she wanted a new life away from the war. She said she wanted to make the world a better place and that being here was little more than a death sentence…" Dedede didn't even tough his own foods. He was so deprest.

Magolor leaned back in his seat and ooked hup at the ceiling fans. "Smart girl. She must have figured it out."

"No, she knows nothing about it," said Dedede. Knuckle Joe and Tuff looked confused.

Magolor glared at the two looking. "We''ll talk later, guys."

All of a sudden, Meta Knight came into the room. He looked a bit intense and he marched up to some tables and stood on one. "It has come to me attention that one of our students, Adeleine has vacated the premises. We've deployed scouts to go find her and bring her back to Kirby Highschool. In the meantime, please keep up with your studies and do not worry about this problem. Use it as a example for something you should never ever do. Not only will you be punished, but if we don't find you, you could die."

Magolor grumbled at Taranza. "Nice warning. Didn't think that was a possibility."

Meta Knight sighed and held up a paper. "Also I have some grave news. It appears that the last troop we deployed, Squad 13, was ambushed by raiders last night. There…"

Everyone leaned in interest.

Meta Kngiht looked at his paper again. "There were no survivors…"

Tuff slammed the table in fury. "Squad 13! That was Lololo and Lalala's unit!"

"Oh my gosh…" said Taranza. "They were just kids.

Magolor was shocked. He watched as Meta Knight left the room with angry eyes. The whole room was still abuzz with students talking and gosippin.

"What are we gonna do?" said Knuckle Joe. "We'll never survive out there!"

Everyone turned to Dedede, who was in shock, not moving at all. Magolor snapped his fingers and Dedede finally snapped out of it. "What's your deal, kid?" said the egg mage angrily.

"Squad 13… was the same squad Escargoon was part of…"


	34. STUDENT COUNCIL

CHAPTER 34: STUDENT COUNCIL

"Okay, everybody shut up!" growled Magolor as he slammed the whiteboard with a hard fist.

"Nobody's talking, Magolor…" said Taranza.

Everyone was sitting silently in the room: Dedede, Magolor, Taranza, Knuckle Joe, and Tuff.

Magolor was so angry. He kicked a bucket full of water across the room and broke the mop along his knee. "Forget all these school rules! I'm done!"

"Calm down, bro," said Knuckle Joe sadly. "They're gone. There's nothing we can do now."

Magolor punched Knuckle Joe and the two fought a lot. Knuckle Joe ended up pinning Magolor at the wall because he was always a superior fighter-type.

"Unhand me, loser!" roared Magolor, but he couldn't move.

"Stop fighting!" shouted Tuff. "This isn't what our fallen friends would have wanted."

"How do you know, lugnut?" growled Magolor and he broke free of Knuckle Joe's grasp and sat back down. Knuckle Joes did too.

Taranza sighed. "Magolor, you need to tell them now."

"Fine," said Magolor anxietyly.

"Tell us what?" grumbled Knuckle Joe.

"High School is a scam!" shouted Magolor.

"He's getting conspiracy theoru again," Knuckle Joe rolled his eyes at.

"Listen what he has to say," said Taranza.

"Nerd."

So Magolor told Tuff and Knuckle Joe the truth about Kirby High Schhol and Marx and meta Knight's plans. They understood and quickly believed him.

"I can't believe it…" said Tuff. "Is one of them the murderer?"

"Of course," said Magolor.

"We don't have proof!" shouted Dedede as he jumped from his desk.

"Shut up, Dedede!" yelled Mogolar. "Stop defending that jerk Marx. He's not your brother, he just used you just like everyone said!"

"No! We don't have proof that it was Marx or Meta Knight!"

"Your acting irrational! Don't forget, he's the reason Lolol, Lalala, and Escargoon are dead! He's totally behind everyone else's murder!"

Dedede was so angry with the accusations, but he had to remain calm. He sat down and thought to himself with slight tears welling up I nhis eyes. He looked up at Magolor. "We have to get out of here," he said.

"That's easier said than done," said Magolor. "I'd hate to bring this up, but your girlfriend is probably dead too."

Now Dedede wanted to punch Magolor so hard right now that he didn't even care if everyone else condemned him.

Magolor sighed and put a hand on Dedede's shoulder. "Don't worry. We're all gonna make it out and end this war for real. That way nobody else has to die. Don't forget, they took my girlfriend too."

Dedede smiled and cried. Magolor was annoyed by dedede's tears and backed away before he decided to hug him.

"So what's our first thing we do?" asked Tuff.

"First we gonna escape tonight." Said Magolor. "But we need one more person on our team…"


	35. FRIENDLY ESCAPE

CHAPTER 35: FRIENDLY ESCAPE

Sword and Blade was in the hall and they were thinking about defending the corridors at night.

"Are we important?" asked Blade to his partner.

"What's this about?" asked sword.

"I just feel like while everyone is out their fighting, our duty to maintain the students like a bunch of low-ranking police cadets is not worthy of our true strength." Blade was sad, even if you couldn't se his face he was making.

"I understand and reciprocate the same feelings…" Sword sighed. He walked over to Blade a nd placed an armoured hand on his shoulder. "We would surely be better off in the front lines, as would Meta Knight, but we have to trust that our position here would be for the best."

Blade didn't like this answer, but knew all along that this is what Sword was gonna say.

"Let's just be glad we aren't dead yet," said Sword.

Blade slammed the wall sideways with an angry fist, cracking a little. "If we were a part of Squad 13, we could have saved them all!"

Sword noticed the anger and backed off.

Blade sighed into the ceiling and looked down at his weapon. "We're jokes…" He then saw Dedede and Taranza walking by. He quickly got his composure back in order to looked professional.

"What are you lads doing up so late! This area is off-limits at this time of night!" said Sword with authority. "If you don't return to your quarters, we will write you up!"

"Taranza is horribly sick!" cried Dedede. "I think he's dying1! I need to bring him to Dr. Yabui!"

"No go! Have him puke in his room if he has too," said Sword. "It's probably just a measily tommyache.

"Plan B, then?" mumbled Taranza.

"What?" said Blade and Storm at the same time in confusion.

Tranza then spit spider webs out of his mouth and entangled Sword and Blade easily. There was a shock effect too, so it paralyzed them.

"We gotta move!" cried Dedede. He and Taranza then booked it to Yabui's room. They got there and slammed open the door.

"Took you long enough!" groaned Magolor as he pointed his gun at Yabui. Yabui had his hands up in fear.

"Why at you doing this?" cried Yabui.

"So that you can't keep our friend sleeping forever," said Knuckle Joe as he dashed behind Yabui and knocked him out in the neck area.

"Nice timing, bro," said Magolor proudly. He put his gun away. "This wasn't actually loaded anyway. That guy is such a scared soul." He got a cocky expression as Dedede and Taranza ran back with a stretcher with Kirby in it sleeping still.

"Let's just go already!" cried Dedede and everyone ran out of the room before they could get known about.

"Tuff's out front with the rope!" said Knuckle Joe. "We'll climb the fences and make our way to safety!"

Everyone got outside and panted. "We don't have much tie until my web paralyzing wears off!" said Taranza in hysterical.

"No time them…" growled Magolor. He signaled to Tuff to secure the ropes.

Tuff looked down at the ropes and then up to his friends. "Sorry, guys," said Tuff with a sad face.

"What? Is the rope bad or too short?" asked Dedede confused.

"No…" said Knuckle Joe in shock. "Tuff… you can't…"

"FREEZE!" roared Blade and Sword as the entered the courtyard and took down Dedede and Taranza.

"Dartmouth!" shouted Magolor angrily. He turned and saw Meta Knight at the doorway.


	36. BYGONE BROTHERS

CHAPTER 36: BYGONE BROTHERS

Meta Knight entered the courtyard coolly and determined. "It's time for you all to cease this incompetence…" said the leading warrior.

"It's Meta Knight!" said Knuckle Joe worriedly.

"Meta Knight…" seethed Magolor. "You knew the whole time, didn't you?" He looked over at Tuff. "You had a spy from the start."

Tuff sadly trudged over to Meta Knight and went back inside. He started to cry because he knew he had betrayed his best friends and his deceased sister's boyfriend.

"Stand down, Magolor," said Meta Knight. "You children know that you can't overpower someone like me."

"Maybe not, but Kirby can," said Taranza.

Meta Knight looked at the pink sphere on the stretcher on the ground. He was still deeply sleepin. "True, but he won't be waking up anytime soon."

"What did you do to him, you monster!?" roared Magolor, he took out his gun ad pointed it at his foes. He was sweating a lot.

"Put the gun down, soldier!" shouted Blade.

"Relax, it isn't loaded," said Meta Knight. "And even if it was, the bullets would never even touch me." Blade and Sword thought about Meta Knight's sheer fastness.

Magolor lowered his gun.

"I'm through with hiding things from you and the others," said Meta Knight. "I wouldn't have done so if there weren't so many dangerous aspects to keep under wraps."

"Well, spit it out! Why are you sending off soliders to purposefully get them killed? What sense does any of that make?" cried Knuckle Joe.

"Shall I do the honours, Mr. Principal?" said a greasy voice from above.

Everyone looked up and saw Marx leaning by the flag on top of Kirby High School. He hovered down everso slowly and landed between the two divided parties.

"He is still alive…" Dedede murmured to himself in teary-eyed shock.

Magolor was so mad right now and Tarzan and Knuckle Joe could not believe their eyes.

"You kids aren't as dumb as you look…" said Marx with a slight frown. "It truly is a pity. You would have lived longer had you not been meddling in places it shouldn't have been."

"You cheeky…" growed Magolor as he pointed his gun at Marx and fired. It actually was loaded!

Meta Knight deflected the shot quicker than light. Marx was totally not hit. Everyone gasped at Meta Knight's speed.

"Thanks, Princy!" Marx said slyly. He trotted over to Magolor and the others. "Look, we're all friends, right?"

"I thought we were, boy was I stupid," said Dedede, remembering his tainted brother bonds.

"Well, maybe 'allies' is a better word then…" said Marx. "We're not trying to hurt you anyone, we're only trying to save everybody else by making a few strategic sacrifices."

"This is madness," said Magolor. "From what I overheard, you and Meta Knight are staging this entire war just because you are compeled by chaos."

"Well, I do love me sum chaos…" Marx said with sneaking eyes.

"That isn't true though," said Meta Knight. "The real reason we are staging this war is not to delight in the chaos, but to end it once and for all."

"How so?" asked Knuckle Joe with his fists still ready.

"Carnage," said Marx with a terrible smile. "That's all you need to know." He nodded to Meta Knight and then hobbled down to the doorway. "Sword, Blade, make sure you escort these unruly children to their dorms. I'll see to it that they'r transfers are scheduled for the next shipment."


	37. WE DIDN'T START THE FIRE

CHAPTER 37: WE DIDN'T START THE FIRE

Dedede, Knuckle Joe, Magolor, and Taranza were in the detention room. The door was looked and lots of the desks were moved to make it look like a prison. Mr. Rick was watching everyone to make sure they didn't escape.

"Mr. Rick, are you aware as to wats going on?' asked Taranza.

"Shut up, nerd," said Mr. Rick. "You have the right to remain silent!' He then slapped all of Taranza's hands with a measuring stick. It was clear that Mr. Rick was chosen for this job because he had the thickest skull of all the teachers because he was a gym teach and also was a hamper.

Dedede could not believe ell of the horrible trouble that he and his friends had gotten into last night. Now they new for sure that the war was orchestrated and that Marx was behind everything. Dedede was disappointed in himself for being such a trusting loser. No wonder Adeleine dumped him.

"I'm sorry Magolor…" Dedede said in morse code with his pencil. He learned it because he was in the army and it was a required field of study.

Magolor did not reply and just sulked with his hand on his face sadly. Dedede wondered if Magolor crid last night because f Tuff's betrayal. Bothe Dedede and Taranza did, but no one knew if Knuckle Joe did.

Mr. Rick heard Dedede tapping too much and came over and whacked him with a the stick. "SILENCE!" he yelled outrageously.

"I'm the king!" yelled Dedede! "You have no write to treat me this way!"

"You are no longer the king!" retaliated Mr. Rick.

The truth hurts.

Magolor sighed and stretched in his seat. He looked strangely relaxed. Dedede was quizzical about this odd posture.

Magolor then took out a lighter and set his desk on fire. "Uh-oh," he said.

"You ruinous tyke!" yelled Rick and he stamped out the desk fire with his feet. "Don't do that again!"

Magolor leaned back as his lighter was confiscated. He then eyed Dedede and the others with a savage look.

Mr. Rick sat down and stashed the lighter in his desk drawer where he keeped items. All of a sudden the lighter exploede in his drawer and the fire lit up the whole teacher desk. Mr. Rick could not stamp out all of the fire in time and it spread across the whole room. Magolor jumped up from his desk and kicked the door down that was weak from the flames. Everyone ran out while thick-skulled Mr. Rick was too preocuipy with stamping out the blazes.

Everyone rushed out as fast as they could.

"How did you?" asked Dedede abruptly.

"No time to explain, kid!" said Magolor. "We need to make our escape now before the teachers come after us!" They then skidded to ahalt. Because right in front of them…

Was Tuff.


	38. PRISON BREAK

CHAPTER 38: PRISON BREAK

"You jerk!" growled Knuckle Joe. He was about ready to sock Tuff's lights out.

Magolor caught his fist and shook his head. "As much as I find violence funny, now is not the time or place, Joe." He said as he walked up to Tuff.

"Are they ready?" Magolor asked Tuff. Tuff nodded in approve. Evryone wes so confused.

"What the actual heck?" cried Knuckle Joe.

Magolor turned to his friends. "Just follow us," said Magolor and he and Tuff ran off together and the others followed. They made it to the boiler room downstairs.

"Why ae we here?" said Taranza.

Magolor turned to everyone and smiled.

"Ohno," said Dedede. "Magolor… you don't work for them too, do you?"

Magolor and Tuff went over to a large cardboard box and chucked it aside, revealing a large hole.

"Oh my gosh is this our graves?" wondered Taranza.

"No, you knucklehead!" groaned Magolor. He was annoyed by acting cool. "This is our escape route. Get in here and follow me and I'll explain everything!"

No one hesitated because they could already here the footsteps of Blade and Sword coming. Evryone jumped in after Magolor. Tuff quickly covered the hole with the box and ran over to Sword and Blade.

"Where did they go?" said Blade.

"I saw them from the window. They're in the courtyard!" said Tuff. The three of them ran upstairs.

Meanwhile, in the hole…

"Um… what just happened?" said Taranza.

"We're safe now. Everything has gone according to my brilliant plan!" snickered Magolor. He led his friends through the dark winding tunnels below Kirby High School.

"Why did tuff help us. I thought he was on their side," said Dedede so conffused.

"I had him fake all that," said Magolor. "Yesterday, when I told you all about the truth, he pulled me aside and said they he didn't want to escape with us, but he would do anything he could to help us. I had him told Meta Knight that we were planning to escape."

"but why would you purposefully jepperdise our chances last night?" said Knuckle Joe kinda fearsomely.

"I needed to know more about their plans. What exactly is Marx's goal. That stuff, you know?" said Magolor instructively. "It also helped you guys to here it straight from the horses mouth too."

"I guess so…" said Dedede nervously and thinking about Marx and kinship and a little about Escargoon.

"Everything worked out. We were put on high alert, but Tuff wasn't. They thought he was their spy." Said Maggolr. "Tuff gave me that faulty lighter in the bathroom and I used it to get rid of Mr. Rick easily."

"What about this tunnel?" said Taranza.

"These were for old fiber optics cables that never got installed. I discovered them a long time ago back when this place wasn.t a military base. These go on for about three more kilometers.

"THREE KILOMETERS?" shouted Knuckle Joe.

"Yup," Magolor chuckled. "Prepare for the long crawl, fellas…"


	39. THE GREAT OUTDOORS

CHAPTER 39: THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Dedede and his friends had finally escaped the secret prsion that students unawaring called "Kirby High School". They were in the tunnels bellow ground and had been crawling on their bellies for many hours.

"I'm starving, dudes…" whined Dedede.

"Just a bit more," said magolor, hoping his flashlight wouldn't run out of batteri. "You gotta pull through, guys. I'm starting to see light."

"You said that the last fifty times," whined Tarana.

"Yo, I'm just trying to keep a positive atmosphere." Said Magolor with an angry, sweaty face.

It took some time, but the four students had finally reached the end and wound up in a large factory-like building that was abandoning.

"I'm getting creepy vibes from this place…" said Taranza with a stutter in his voice like a big coward.

"I kind of like it," said Knuckle Joe. "It reminds me of computers." Knuckle Joe likes computers now because he had to learn studies about computers and outher technical things. It was goo theat Kirby High School granted him something fulfilling in his life even though it had all been a military scam.

Dedede was exhausted and wanted to take a nap. "And I'm sore from crawling. I haven't felt so sore since I was an old penguin," said Dedede.

"Aren't you still a old penguin?" asked Taranza souly.

"Dedede grinned at Taranza because out of everyone here, Taranza was the most relative.

Magolor sighed and reached into his pocket. He took out his gun and began loading it. "I need to do this to protect us from the harsh outside world. If Lololo is dead, there's no telling what kind of dangerous evils lurk amongst the graveyards."

Magolor had a pretty bleak outlook on the world outside of Kirby High School. Dedede and everyone thought about this too, but not as much as Magolor.

"We don't have weapons for ourselves," Taranza brought up.

"Yeah, you do," said Magolor. "Knuckle Joe has his superior fighting skills, he's not a full tech geekbait."

Knuckle Joe nodded and felt kind of offended, but too tired to complaint.

"Taranza, you can used your webs. It helped against strong knights like Sword and Blade." Said Magolor. "And Dedede. You can just use your hammer."

Dedede remembered his hammer, which somehow always fit in his pocket despite its size. (A/N: Sakurai will have to explain that one).

"But here's the problem. We need to all stick together. Were useless without one another," warned Magolor.

"Oh! Like a Final Fantasy party!" said Taranza. His geekdom had entered the room again.

"Hey, Magolor, I've been meaning to ask…" said Dedede. Just then, a strenge noise sounded from above. Everyone looked up and saw a bunch of round cat-like creatures nestled on the ceiling like bats.

"Oh gosh," said Taranza. "I'm scared!" He then started screaming.

The creatures awoke and started rampaging around the room trying to bite Dedede and the others.

"No!" cried Taranza with huge globs of tears streaming down his face. "I don't want to be dinner."

"CRIMINY! You useless bug!" roared Magolor and he fired his pistol at the vermin. His bullets hit one in the cluster and they all scattered. However, it didn't die; it rolled its eyes back and got one singular eye. It got even more pronounced fangs and started started to and Dedede and the others ran in realisation.

"Nice going, edgelord!" growled Knuckle Joe at Magolor.

"We gotta get out of this factory!" cried Dedede.

They ran fast, trying to avoid the cycloptic monsters. They eventually found a pipe and squeezed through it to the outside. Knuckle Joe slammed a boulder in front of the hole and everyone breathed a sih of relief.

"I'm relieved…" said Taranza. "But how long is that gonna hold?"

Everyone gulped and worried. Suddenly, the boulder cracked apart and the monsters entered the opened, surrounding the young ones with a ravenous swarm.

"Great, I finally escape High School and end up dying right next to the biggest losers I know in only 3 and a half minutes…" mumbled Knuckle Joe.

Just then, a big flash of rainbow liquid soared through the air and surrounded the foes. It wrapped around like a magical lasso and squeezed the swarm together until the pressure became too intense. The monsters all popped like bubbles and filled the night sky with a shiny colourful glitter effect.

"OK what just happened?" said Taranza.

"Somebody just saved our lives!" said Dedee.

"But who?" said Knuckle Joe.

All of a sudden, a young girl walked over holding a large painbrush and a palette.

Dedede Gasped. "Adeleine!?"


	40. SECRET SURVIVAL

CHAPTER 40: SECRET SURVIVAL

Nobody could believe it. 1: They had almost just died. 2: Adeleine had saved their lives with magic paintbrush powers. 3: Adeleine was alive!

"What's going on!?" shouted Magolor.

"Wow, that's a nice way to say 'thanks for saving my tail'…" Adeleine begrudgingly said.

Dedede still felt shame in his heart, but he had to talk to Adeleine right now. "How?"

"While I was gone, I trained and learned how to survive on the fat of this barren wasteland," Adeleine said as he gestured to all of the ruin and desert around them. Green Greens was looking a lot more like Sand Sands now.

Magolor cocked his eyebrow at Adeleine. "Nice shootin' tex," he said and shook her hand. "We truly owe you one."

"No need to thank me. You did us a huge favour escaping Kirby High School. It was truly an accursed place."

"You knew?" said Dedede surprised.

"Wait a minute! Who's this 'us' your'e talking bout?" asked Magolot.

Adeleine walked off. "Come on an follow me. You're just in time for dinner."

And so Dedede, Magolor, Knuckle Joe, and Taranza followed Adeleine to a little hut. Adeleine went inside and told everyone to wait aminute.

"Is she planning to kill us?" Magolor said grouchily.

"Have some sense of decency, bro. She saved our life!" said Taranza.

Just them, a trapdoor opened bellow them. They all fell down a chute and landed in a cave on top of each other. "You have the right to remain silent for the rest of your miserable life Taranza," Magolor said to the spider child.

The four got up, dusted themselves off, and met Adeleine in the corner of the hallway, playing on her iPhone.

"You gonna tell us what's going on, Ad, or are you just showing off your Minecraft base?" grumbled Magolor.

"Magolor, shut up and behave yourself," said Adeleine. "Your in my house, so I suggest you mind your manners else I throw you out on the curb like the time you got expelled from the Lor Starcutter." She walked away.

Everyone's jaw dropped. Adeleine just told off the toughest kid in school and he was speechless.

"Here we are," said Adeleine. As she kicked open the door to a very big room.

In the center was a big table with many people sitting around it.

"who are all these plebs?" grunted Magolor.

"This is the resistance," said Adeline.


	41. THE RESISTANCE

CHAPTER 41: THE RESISTANCE

"Dang, I didn't think there would be so many of you living," said Magolor a tad rudely.

"We're ex-soldiers," said a mustached Cappy with elvis hairs. "The name's Samo."

"I'm Bugzzy," said a strong-lookinh beetle.

"I'm melman," said a mailman cappy.

"I'm Kine," said a Fish in a bowl.

"I'm Gryll" said a witch thing with a broom.

"And I'm Bonkers!" said a big monkey.

"These people all had different squads. Each one of their bases were run just like Kirby High School," said Adeleine.

"So, you all abandoned you're duties. That's pretty shameful," said Magolor with his arms crossed in a sassy way. "Unless, of course, you know the truth…"

"Indeed we do," said Melman. "This war is not a series of battles, but a plot to cause unending chaos."

"Someone is orchestrating corruption," said Kine. "I will not stand for ths."

"You're a fish, you never stand…" snickered Gryll. Kine felt embarrassed because he couldn't talk cool.

"Awesome, then you all know how to stop all this bad stuff, right?" said Dedede excitedly.

"No go, bro," said Samo sadly.

"What?" said Dedede.

"We're clueless. We've only just banded together in order to survive," said Bonkers. "We grow crops and have salvaged sheep to begin an underground community. We're hoping to sneak more escapees down here as time goes on. We'll begin Dreamland anew!"

"Cave-dwelling ain't really my cp of tea…" grumbled Knuckle Joe. "But it's the thought that counts."

"Speak for yourself," said Magolor with a shrug. "I can live anywhere. I lived in a spaceship, a dumpster and a High School. I've pretty adaptive."

"And…I kind of like caves…" said Taranza quietly.

"NO!" cried Dedede.

"Hold your tongue, boy," said Bugzzy. "We're aware its not a castle, but it sure is better than any tragedies that take place up there in theopen."

"No, you don't understand!" said Dedede with righteous tears in his ducts welling up. "We can't just hide. What happens if the bad people discover this place?"

"We can just pack up and move away to a new spot. Popstar is quite expansive," said Samo.

"No, we can't!" shouted Dedede. He stood in the middle of the table and gave his riveting speech. "If we keep running away, then we're acknowledging that the enemy has won. We're allowing them to decide the fate of our friends and families. We need to rise up and change things. I don't want to live in a world where my every motive is dictated by fear."

"The penguin lad speaks manly words indeed!" bellowed Bugzzy as he slammed the table with a fist. "Unless we show our resistance, we aren't truly a resistance!"

"We have to keep fighting!" said Dedede. Everyone cheered.

"Good we need a plan first," said Kine.

"You can forget about hyping yourselves up. It's already no use…" droned a sickly voice from the back. A fat mustached Cappy drniking from a cereal box like a cardboard bottle leaned against the doorframe.

It was Chief Bookem.


	42. CHIEF BOOKEM'S LAMENT

CHAPTER 42: CHIEF BOOKEM'S LAMENT

"There's always gotta be a Killjoy Kevin…" mumbled Magolor.

Knuckle Joe pointed at Chief Bookem in shock. "Hey, you were stationed at Kirby High School, weren't you?"

Dedede was shocked too. That meant he was part of the same squad in which Escargoon was killed.

Bookem took another swig from his cereal box and trudged to his chair. It spilt all over crumbs in floor places like crumbs. Everyone just stared at him with concerned or angry eyes.

"What do you mean, there's nothing we can do? We were just about to have a breakthrough!" said Kine.

Bookem sighed and adjusted he hat. "None of you know what truly goes on at the front lines."

"Of course we do!" shouted Bonkers. "I watched my brother Bonkerses die right in front of my very eyes!"

"But how long did you stick around?" grumbled Bookem.

Nobody said anything.

"Ithoughtso…" the chief took another munching sip. "As soon as every one started dying, you turned tail and ran, eventually meeting to form this resistance. But as for me, your most recent member, I stuck around… It was probably the worst decision of my life. And I'm not gonna make another bad decision by letting you all go back out there and try to delay the inevitable."

"What is he talking about?" asked Taranza.

"It's true," said Samo. "None of us we're there at the end of the battle. We ran away just as the fighting started…"

"After we realised who we were fighting…" said Gryll.

"So, you've actually seen the enemy?" said Knuckle Joe. "Who are they?"

"You're looking at them…" said Bookem.

"Literally anyone, for lack of a better term…" said Melman.

Booker spat to the sides. "When you arrive on the battlefield, you suit up and wait for the enemy to rise over the hills and make a mad dash towards you," he says. "Then you see them, someone you knew before. And your commanded by an unholy presence to kill."

"I don't get it…" said Dedede.

"Maybe this will put it into perspective for kids like you," sid Bookem. "My troop drove up to the battlefield, we set up shop, and waited to fight. All of a sudden, I see an old friend of mine, Gus. Next thing I know, we're fighting without a moment's hesitation…"

"It must be hard to see a friend become someone like that…" said Taranza sadly as he thought about Sectonia and how she died.

"You still don't get it…" Bookem sighed and stooed up. "Killing Gus wasn't the worst thing to happen. It was the fact t that Gus himself was a member of my squad in the first place."

"What? So he betrayed you?" said Knuckle Joe scared.

"Nope, much worse…" said Bookem.

"That doesn't make sense," growled Magolor anxiously. "Why did would Gus be your enemy if he was still on your side?"

"Because squads aren't assembled for fighting other squads. They're for fighting themselves." Bookem set his box down and everyone gasped at him.

"Then… you all killed each other?" said Taranza.

Bookem began to cry and caollaped in his chair into a deep snooze. He was mentally exhausted.


	43. THE MURDERER

CHAPTER 43: THE MURDERER

"We're sorry you teens had to hear that," said Samo. Melman and Gryll carried sleeping Bookem to bed. "Chief Bookem just got here and told us that last night."

"What did he mean by what he said?" asked Taranza worriedly.

"Exactly what he meant…" said Samo sadly. "The rest of us ran away before we got to the battlefield. We knew something fishing was up. But Bookem wasn't so fortunate. He stayed the whole time, but managed to survive."

"But why would he kill his own squad members?" said Knuckle Joe. "Especially… innocent people like Lololo and Lalala?"

"Heck, why was anyone killing anyone?" said Magolor.

"The people behind the war's progression are purposefully collecting sacrifices," said Kine.

Magolor was mad to hear about this. "The murderer…" he slammed a wall with his fist. "I got it!"

"What's that Magolor?" said Taranza.

"You weren't lying when you were pretending to be the murderer Taranza," said Magolor. "We've all been the murderer this whole time."

"Now way!" said Knuckle Joe. "Why would you assume that?"

"Bookem said something about an 'unholy presence'. Someone…or something… is taking over people's minds and forcing them to commit the murders."

"That's why the suspect list has been so confusing…" said Taranza. "Do you think Marx and Meta Knight are aware of this?"

"I can almost garantee it," said Magolor. He crossed his arms and looked at ceiling in anger, thinking about Tiff.


	44. INSECURITIES

CHAPTER 44: INSECURITIES

Dedede sat on a bench near an underground lagoon. Adeleine came up nex to thim to sit down and talk. "Dedede, I'm so glad we get to see each other again."

Dedede frowned. "Why are you talking to me? I thought you hated my guts?" Dedede was so bad at talking to girls.

"Dedede, I never hated you…" said Adeleine, but she knew she implied it seven times.

"I'm just very sorry I didn't tell you sooner," said Dedede and he stared at his face in sadness. "I totally left you in the dark in your most desparet moment. I should have told you and came with you to here."

"I realise that you couldn't abandoned your friends. That would have been unhealthy and it would have been all my fault if they had died."

"No, it wouldn't have. I don't contribute much to our survival. I was bad in Kirby High School's academics and fitness training. I'm really just slowing us down."

"You're too hard on yourself, Dedede." He eyes sparkled like diamonds.

"No, Ad. I am really actually useless. Even when I was a king, I couldn't do anything wholesome or righteous." Dedede sighed into his hands and wished he ould just disappear forever.

"I don't think you're useless at all," Adeleine said with a finger pointed. "I thik you proved your worth when you saved me from those bullies at the Art Club. Remember when you invited me to join the Surprise Club?"

"Gosh, that was a long time ago…" Dedede thought back to the simpler times before murders and military.

"You were the first true friend I ever had. I thought you were trying to push me away, so I blamed myself… that's why I yelled at you back then."

"I'd never…"

"It's hard for me, Dedede. I was scared that after prom you didn't like me anymore. And then the murders occurred and we kept hanging out less and less. I'm sorry I never realised that you have your own life and I was just being selfish, trying to keep you all yo myself."

"You never did anything like that, Adeleine."

"But I sincerely felt like I did and I hated you because I was too self conscious to admit my faults."

"It's okay, Adeleine. I was wrong in a lot of worse ways. I trusted Marx over anyone, even my friends. I did it because I was only interested in keeping myself happy." He got really sad. "Look at where that's gotten me now… There could have been so many times where I could have stopped him."

"Dedede," Adeleine took Dedede by the hands and drew close. "You have to remember that me, Magolor, and everyone else are your best friends and we love the person you are for who you are. We'll never dessert you because we trust in your benevolence. We're friends for life!"

"Thanks, Ad, that's very nice of you to say," said Ddeede.

The two stared into each others eyes and were so glad they cared so much about one another. Theyre faces started to get closer and closer…

"Hey," said MAgolor as he appeared between their faces. He received a smooch from both Dedede and Adeleine. Magolor took a step back in shock. Dedede and Adeleine looked at him in embarrassment.

"This never happened, got it?" said Magolor. He turned around. "Come follow me and don't say a single word until we get there… or I'll kill you."


	45. THE KITCHEN

CHAPTER 45: THE KITCHEN

"This is so good!" sang Taranza as he muched away at his chicken bones. He ate every last bite like a mongrel.

"I feel like I haven't eaten in days!" cried Knuckle Joe.

"It's literally ben only since this morning, you dweebs…" snarled Magolor. "Plus our military training was designed to keep us from falling prey to hunger pangs." But he had to admit that the food tasted twice as good tonight than ever before.

Dedede and Adeleine were there too and ate like ravenous coyotes. The table and floors was convered into crumbs.

"Look at all these crumbs!" laughed Samo. "I'm glad you kids are having a appetite!"

Bugzzy laughed with his crossd arms. "You all deserve it seems how you dared to escape a place like Kirby High School."

"I can't believe they're training students to be in the war!" said Gryll. "What a bad thing to do. It's so horrible!"

"If what Chief Bookem says is true, I could have ended up decapitating my bros with a Rising Break," said Knuckle Joe. "And here I thought I was gonna be a techie."

"They probably told you that to dumb down your muscles, Joe," said Magolor. "That way you'd be easy pickings for the rest of your squad."

"There's one problem I have with the Chief's story," said Dedede. "If everyone has to fight one another, then what happens to the winner?"

"That's a good question," said Samo. "Most likely, Bokkun was the winner, so we should ask him when he wakes up."

"Don't you think questions like that will bother him a lot?" asked Taranza. Knuckle Joe stole some of his chicken. "Hey!"

Samo laughed. "I'm sure he'd rather tell us than keep it all to himself." He then gasped.

Just then, Chief Bookem entered the room groggily and hobbled over to the refrigerator. He fumbled around until he found a box of Froot Loops and then he proceded to down the whole thing like a black hole. Everyone watched in awe and then he keeled over and fell back asleep.

"Oh boy, we better get him back to bed…" said Kine.

"Nah, leave him here. I think he's a good role model for how we should go about winning this war," said Magolor with eye-roller vexation.

Gryll and Bugzzy went over to pick up Bookem.

"CARNAGE!" screeched Bookem. It was deafening. He ran out of Gryll and Bugzy's grasped and slammed his box on the hard stove. It was set ablaze and he flailed it around like a torch. "I won't let you take me!" He then tripped and dropped the box, landing on it with his big rear and stamping out the flames in the prosess.

"Maybe we should leave him there…" suggested Taranza.

"I know," said Dedede.


	46. THAT MORNING

CHAPTER 46: THAT MORNING

And so, over the course of the next several days, Dedede and his friends worked with the resistance to stock up on items like food and ammunition. Magolor's Minecraft description was becoming a reality oddly enough.

"I kind of like it though," said Magolor to Dedede.

"What do you enjoy?" asked Dedede as he gathered up sticks from the underground tree farm.

"Being independent. I've never felt so invigorated, not even when I was expelled and living in my family dumpster." The egg mage's eyes glistened like peridot.

"True, I feel the same way since…" he stop himself from talking.

"Since Escargoon died?" said Magolor. Dedede shot him an angry glare. "It's okay. I don't mean any harm, dude. Anyway, I know how you feel. It's hard to lose someone you love…"

"But its my fault…" said Dedede. "And not just about Escargoon, but Tiff and everyone else too. I shouldn't have trusted Marx…"

"Dude, what's done its done. We all make mistakes… well, except for me!" Magolor chuckled. Dedede smiled in an annoyed way at his friend.

As they were exiting the farm, they saw Chief Bookem sitting on the bench, staring at the lagoon. Magolor wanted to ignore him, but Dedee insisted to go look at him.

"Hiya," said Dedede. We haven't seen you in a few days."

Bookem looked down at the young. "I've been doing a lot of thinking…"

"Yeah, if that's what you call it…" mumbled Magolor.

Bookem tok a sip of his cereal box. "Boys, you know well that I'm against this little assault your planning."

"Yeah, but were gonna do it because we hate what's going on up there," said Dedede sternly.

Bookem laughed. "Well, you certainly are determined rascals. When are you all leaving?"

"Tonight," said MAgolor.

"Tonight?" sahouted Dedede. He wasn't expeting that.

"Yeah, don't you listen to anything Samo says?" Magolor rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah, you had your earbuds in…"

"Well, I might be a changed penguin, but In still can't stand lectures! There so boring!" shouted Dedede.

"Well, I'll see you off. Me and Kine will be staying behind for backup," said Bookem. "And also because I know this is a very very bad idea…" He took one final slug of Froot Loops and then tossed the box into the lagoon.

Kine poked his head out of the lagoon. "That's pollution!"

"You're a disgrace!" Bookem shouted back.


	47. THE LONG TREK BACK

CHAPTER 47: THE LONG TREK BACK

"I suppose this is it, friends…" said Samo as he sliped on his backpack. "Once we head up, there's no going back. I hope you all brought your game faces with you!"

"I'm ready for anything!" roared Bugzzy as he flexed his insectoid mussels.

"All right, but remember the plan," said Gryll. "We make it back to Kirby High School through the tunnels. We'll take on any foes while the kids retrieve Kirby."

"You guys want Kirby?" growled a tired voice from the back. Everyone turned around to see Bookem with a backpack.

"Chief Bookem, are you coming too?" asked Taranza excitedly.

"Yes, I've had a change of heart…" said bookem.

"That's great!" said Melman. "Your teammates would be proud!"

"No they wouldn't…" Bookem sad sadly. He trudged over to Samo. "Let's hurry up and get outta this stuffy joint, Elvis boy!"

Samo giggled and hit a lever that used a lift to send everone out of the underground.

Kine watched from his pool. "Good luck, guys. I'll tend to the crops and stuff while you are gone," said the ocean sun fish.

After a short while, the team reached the abandoned factory where Dedede and his friends had escaped to. They were careful to move in their big group so they would not be seen. They heard a lot of battlefield noises in the distance; this greatly worried the teenage members of the squad.

"Here we are!" said Samo. He wriggled into the pipe and everyone followed. Dedede and Booken was last.

"Chief Bookem, can I ask you a question?" asked Dedede.

"Of course, kid," replied Bookem.

"What made you change your mind about my idea?"

"I… I…" Bookem trailed off. Then he turned away from the pipe and looked into the distance. "I was done wrestling with my thoughts, Dedede…"

"About how you can make a difference?"

"No… about how I can embrace my commitment…"

"What does that mean?"

Bookem shuffled nervously. "Can you get in the pipe before the enemy spots us…" he barked. Dedede wscared and obeyed. He went into the pipe with everyone else.

Bookem reached into his pack and took out a cereal box, Cocoa Pebbles this time. He took one big gulp and then through it behind his back, polluting against Kine's wishes. He then walked into the distance and took out a machine gun from his backpack. "All right, I know you're here. Let's make this exchange quick."

Dark clouds swirled above like a storm. Meeting in the center of the tempest was a single large eye.


	48. BACK TO SCHOOL

CHAPTER 48: BACK TO SCHOOL

"Where's Bookem?" cried Samo.

"Oh no, I knew we shouldn't have let him go last!" said Gryll.

"That bloke probably fell asleep halfway through the stinkin' tunnel!" snapped Bugzzy.

"We gotta go back for him!" said Taranza.

"Save it, he's worthless now," said Magolor. "Anyone that mentally unstable was doomed from the start, if you ask me…"

Dedede gulped. He was sure that Bookem never even made it into the factory pipe.

"Well, we'll just have to make do without him…" sighed Samo. He pushed a large box out of the way and entered Kirby High School's boiler room. No one was there.

"This is so boss," said Knuckle Joe. "We'll have Kirby in no time."

"Easier said than done, knucklehead," said Magolor. "They probably moved him away from the infirmry since the last time we tried to snag him."

"You're right," said Knuckle Joe.

"Where would he go next?" asked Bonkers.

"Somewhere not far. He's probably in contained coma," said Gryll. "Otherwise, he'd wake up and wreak havoc."

"True. Contrary to how it sounds, Kirby's the most woke out of all of us…" said Dedede.

Taranza snapped his fingers. "The tube room! They're totally hiding him in there with all those souls!"

"Crud…" murmured Knuckle Joe. "That room was locked up the day Meta Knight found out we discovered it. How would we ever get in?"

Bonkers smiled. "Looks like you chums will need my hammer! Ain't no entrant I can't break through!"

"Good thinking, Bonkers!" said Samo and everyone cheered happily for the accomplishment.

Meanwhile Marx and Meta Knight were walking down the halls conversating.

"Trust me, they're dead," said Marx with an annoyed grin. Meta Knight had been berating him forever.

"I refuse to believe my men haven't found them by now. It's been a whole week practically!" Meta Knight roared.

"They never found Adeleine either. Face it, meta Knight. Your men are old fashioned. Dimenson-hopping is the new code of chivalry."

"I will not bend to your blasphemous tendencies, Marx," Meta Knight growled as he turned the corner. He stopped in surprise. Marx was a bit shocked too.

"Good evening," said Bugzzy as he reached into his scabbards and pulled four mighty cutlasses out in an instant.


	49. LOCKDOWN

CHAPTER 49: LOCKDOWN

"Well, that explains why they never found his soul…" mumbled Marx. He and Meta Knight were standing face-to-face with Bugzzy and his four mighty cutlasses.

"You must be the owner of this establishment," said Bugzzy with a grin.

"Yes," said Meta Knight. "I am the principal of Kirby High School."

"Kirby High School?" said Bugzzy. "What an interesting name. How is this 'Kirby'? Shouldn't he be fighting on the front lines as opposed to my brethren and I?"

"A defect," spat Marx. "Certainly not from here. He seems to be aware of our holding Kirby. Shall I deal with him, Meta Knight?"

"No need," said Meta Knight. He drew his sword and with one quick slash, Bugzzy was split in twain. His bug blood splattered the walls, ceilings, and floors.

Marx dodged the viscous fluids by portaling into the ground. He re-emerged and gave Meta Knight a cold stare. "You never let me have any of the fun…"

Meta Knight groaned and continued on down the hall. "If that's all you're concerned about, then follow me. There's likely more where he came from."

Meanwhile, Dedede and the other teens had made it to the tube lab. Bonkers smashed the lock on the door with his hammer, but it was no use. "Dang, my hammer can't break it cuz the lock must be infuse woith magic!"

"That's terrible!" cried Taranza.

"Wait, no it's not!" said Dedede. He turned to Magolor.

"Oh yeah!" said Magolor. He took out his gun and shot the lock. Nothing happened.

"That's not what I mant," said Dedede tiresomely.

"My bad. I just wanted you to stop stairing at me like some Neanderthal." Said Magolor.

"My plan is for you to break the spell with your magic, magolor."

Said Dedede.

"What?" said magolor.

"Your'e a mage aren't you?"

"Oh yeah he is," said Taranza.

"What? No! I can't do magic! I have to be in Halacandria in order for my spells to work. Why else do you think I'm constantly toting a gun?"

"Can you at least try?" whined Dedede.

"Remember, Tiff is in there," said Taranza.

Magolor ripped the entire door off and threw it over his shoulder. "That's all I needed to hear," he said as he clapped the dust off from he hands.

"Was that a magic spell?" axed Bonkers.

"I'm not actually sure…" said Dedede.


	50. MARX'S BATTLE

CHAPTER 50: MARX'S BATTLE

"So what are you supposed to be?" said Marx with a clearly-board eye.

"I'm Gryll and you're a pretty rude lad," said Gryll, readying her broomstick. Samo and Melman were by her side and ready to fight with their karate poises.

"What a crying shame…" grumbled Marx. "I thought I was gonna get someone worth my time. Instead, I just get the THRee Stooges…"

"Why don't you cut the lip and put up your dukes, you young cad!" said Melamn. He ran forward and tryied to punch Marx hard, but failed because Marx was too good at warping. He slammed Melman and made him throw out his poor old back.

"Melman, no!" cried Samo. He charged forward and tried to beat Marx, but this was impossible too. Marx tossed him aside and he landed ontop of Melman.

"Two down, one to go…" said Marx. He turned to Gryll.

"I'm not afraid of you, you know," said Gryll. "I'm way stronger than those Cappies."

"Oh my, I'm quaking in my boots!" snickered Marx. He started thrashing Gryll with his deadly attacks.

It seemed like Gryll was down for the count, but she managed to conjure up a lightning attack that tore through one of Marx's wings.

Marx fell to the ground and writhed in agony.

Melman and Smao got up and rejoined Gryll. "Now we'll deliver your punishment, you knave!" said Melman with karate stance again.

"Oh, my aching tentacles!" wept Marx at the pain of his torn wing.

"Tentacles?" said Samo. "You don't have…"

And then Marx unleashed a collection of long piercing nerves from the gash in his wing. The tendrils went forth and skewered his three opponents and crushed them into the concrete walls. He then shot fire from within and scorched his foes to the core, laughing maniacally as he thought more and more about chaos upon chaos.

Meanwhile, Dedede and the others had found Kirby. He was sealed in a pod alongside an array of green tubed souls. Magolor rest his hand gently on Tiff's container. Knuckle Joe and Taranza felt really bad for he.

Bonkers bashed open Kirby's pod andDedede caught him, kind of grossed out because of the bad rivalry they use to have not too long ago. "You owe me one, you little twerp…" Medede mumbled.

Bonkers rested his mallet on his shoulder. "All right, let's get out of here. I doubt the other resistance members can hold of the likes of Meta Knight for much longer."

"Correct," said Meta Knight as he approached the doorway, his deathly shadow looming against the green glow of the soul tubes.

"Meta Knight!" said Dedede, hugging Kirby tight.


	51. AWAKENING

CHAPTER 51: AWAKENING

"Meta Kngiht!" said Magolor. He took out his gun. "I've got a fuw choice words for you!"

Meta Knight sighed in annoyance, noing full well that Magolor's bullets were ineffective. Everybody else should have known that too.

"I'm actually surprised…" said MetaKnight. "I knew there'd be more of you after that beetle fellow, but I never expected to see you five back in Kirby High School, especially you, Adeleine."

"Well, you'll soon learn I'm full of surprises, Meta Knight," said Adeleine.

"Meta Knight! You've gone far enough! We know everything about your plan!" said Dedede. :"Me and everyonebody else had decided to team up and stop you and Marx from controlling this war!"

"Yeah, we're a totally righteous team!" said Taranza.

"If you want Kirby back, you'll have to stop us first" said Knuckle Joe, preparing his fighter energy.

Meta Knight drew his sword. "I see…"

Bonkers stepped forward. "And if you want them, you need to go through me."

Meta Knight stared at Bonkers and pushed him to the side. He was stronger than he looked. Bonkers was knocked over. He jumped up and readied his mallet for the biggest hit ever. Meta Knight dashed into his cape and disappeared. Bonkers landed, missing the swordsman.

Meta Knight exited the confines of his cloak and delivered a fatal slash to Bonker's nape, feling the strong beast.

"Bonkers no!" cried Dedede in tears. Everyone else cried too except Magolor who was so bewildered and furious.

Meta Knight stepped over Bonkers's body and reached out his hand. "Give me Kirby before any further damage is done."

Dedede gritted his teeth in crying rage. "I will never let you have Kirby, you menace!" he hugged Kirby tighter. Evryone ran beside Dedede and boxed him in with their friendship barricade.

Meta Knight exhaled anxiously. "You are all just children. You don't have any idea what goes on in this world," he seethed.

"Maybe not," said Knuckle Joe. "But you send students like us into the front lines. Remember Lololo and Lalala?"

Meta Knight took another step forward. "Don't make me do something I'll regret."

"Why do it? Are you that heartless, Meta Knight?" said Adeleine.

"Why must you persist?" Meta Knight lowered his sword, still anxety of ever.

"Poyo…" moaned Kirby.

"OH NO!" cried Meta Knight.

Just then, the walls of the lab caved in, knocking all of the souls to the ground. A giant red eyeball stared in from between the newly formed cracks in the wall. Slimy tendrils weaseled their way into the room and started piercing the containers. Meta Knight hurriedly scooped the students and Kirby into his wings and drilled out the door.


	52. CARNAGE

CHAPTER 52: CARNAGE

Marx strutted down the hall with a satisfied smile on his face. "Well, it wasn't exactly fun, but it was a good way to pass the time nonetheless," said enthusiastically s he pondered his battle with Gryll, Samo, and Melman.

He suddenly, felt the floor shake. He looked surprised and them a wide smile splayed across his sinister complexion. "Oh! Company! I love company!" He unfolded his wings and dashed down the hall."

Meta Knight had safely escorted the students and Kirby to the infirmiry. Everyone was gasping for air and chills was going down their sines.

"What the heck was that?" cried Knuckle Joe.

"Was it really that scary? I didn't see it!" cried Taranza.

"How? You have like fifteen eyes!" yelled Magolor.

"Meta Knight!" said Dedede, he helding Kirby. Adeleine rushed over to him.

Meta Knight was holding his side. He was bleeding.

"I told you, I didn't want any of you to be a part of this…" gasped Meta knight. He was in serious pain.

"Meta Knight, what's going on with Kirby High School?" asked Dedede.

Meta Knight continued to gasped. He knew their time in peace was limited. That…thing was on the prowl. He grunted in pain and tried to adjust himself comfortably to talk as Adeleine patched up his wound with a wrapping bandage.

"Carnage…" said Meta Knight.

"What?" said Taranza.

"It's called Carnage… That monster we just saw in the lab room…" said Meta Knight weakly. Adeleine finished healing him with the paper.

"What is it? What's it doing here?" said Knuckle Joe.

"To put it bluntly… Carnage is hungry…" said Meta Knight.

"Hungry?" said Magolor surprised.

"He's always hungry…" said Meta Knight and he tried to stand up. "Carnage is a beast born from the dark energies of the universe. As more accumulates, it produces a mindset that desire nothing more but to engulf all other conflicting energies."

All the kids were still kind of confused.

"I'm sorry… I should have known this kind of ethereal reasoning would be too deep for you to understand…" sighed Meta Knight. He heled his head and fell on his butt from tiresome.

"No I get it," said Dedede. "Carnage is a monster that feeds off of souls."

Everyone gasped.

Magolor slammed the wall. "And we just let it devour hundreds! That includes Tiff's! Dartmouth!"

Meta Knight breathe unpwards. "Yes, we've been trying our hardest to stop it from reaching an impervious state… Galacta Knight's Arena was actually a secret meeting in which all of the living Star Warriors met to discuss disposing it. Unfortunately, right in the middle of our meeting, the beast was spotted heading towards Popstar."

"But what about the murders?" said Knuckle Joe.

"At first, all murders occured sporadically," said meta Knight. "Prince Fluff and Bandana Dee were some of the first to fall victim to a sudden possession."

"A sudden possession?" saidMagolor. "Like someone would just get their minds taken over and commit the murder?"

"Exactly, Carnage has lethal powers," said Meta Knight.


	53. THE FINAL TRAINING

CHAPTER 53: THE FINAL TRAINING

"Oh, you're so marvelous!" gushed Marx as he stood atop Kirby High School's spire. He watched as a giant winged beast soared through the air and rained fire from its burning wings. It's single bulbous eye erratically shifted in all directions like a psychotic bowling ball roling down the gutters of the underworld. It's long tail was complemented by shimmering spikes of varying colours. Two horrendous horns and a large beak adourned with giant bright teeth protruded from its optical skull.

Marx was taken aback by the monster's beauty. He had never seen anything quite like it except for in the ancient texts Mr. Curio kept in his study. Ever since his discovery, he had wanted nothing more than to see Carnage in all of its infernal glory.

"I've never been happier…" said Marx. He hopped off the roof and went back inside.

Meanwhile, in the infirmary, Meta Knight was still trying to heal. He had been knicked good by Carnage.

"But why us?" said Magolor as he pounded the wall in anger. "Meta Knight, why possessed you to train up kids and adults to become soldiers if you were just going to have us destroy each other?"

Meta Knight looked at Magolor weakly. He could she the boy was in deep pain after having lost so many known ones and friends.

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" seethed Magolor, he reached for his gun, but it was not there. He had dropped it when Carnage attacked the lab.

"Please explain, Meta Knight…" said Dedede as he and Adeleine cared for Kirby on his bed.

"Fine," sighed Meta Knight. "It was the hardest decision I ever had to make. I did it all on purpose."

"I knew it," Maglor said as he raised his angered fist.

"I had to protect Kirby. I knew he was the only one who would be able to stop Carnage, but I was wrong… Kirby had a run-in with Carnage one fateful night, nearly seven months ago to be exact."

"What happened then?" asked Dedede, holding Kirby's poor head.

"Kirby won a battle against one of Carnage's Dark Matter spawns and it left Popstar. But Carnage gleaned from his experience and was able to anticipate the events of their true first duel. I showed up just in time to get Knuckle Joe and Taranza to safety, but Kirby was left to fight Carnage all alone. You and Magolor arrived just in time to save Kirby from being devoured."

"He got knocked out by something that wasn't even on Popstar yet?" marveled Taranza.

"Carnage is a truly powerful scourge…" sighed Meta Knight.

"But why the sacrifices?" barked Magolor.

"I knew I couldn't let Kirby get found. Luckily, he went into an undetectable state once he fell asleep. I don't know how, he just has that ability, I suppose… But anyway, the sacrifices I devised across all of Popstar were to feed Carnage's Dark Matter spawns, keeping the true beast at bay. There's a reason they killed one another; they're minds were taken over by the Dark Matter."

"How horrible…" said Adeleine.

"But why'd you have to go and do that, old man?" growled Magolor who wanted to slap Meta Knight. "You didn't have to trick so many people into believing in some phony war just to end up killing each other mindlessly! Why didn't you go up there and get rid of that thing?"

"I'm not strong enough, Magolor. And this was the only strategy I could think of in such a short amount of time," said Meta Knight remorsefully. "I'm am deeply ashamed for everything I've done and expect vnever to be forgiven, but it was something that was compeltey necessary…"

"But what do we do until then?" said Magolor. "How many more people have to die?"

"As many as it takes… until he wakes up…" Meta Knight pointed to Kirby.

"But why won't he wake up?" said Dedede.

"Kirby's coma is self-induced. He's training in a way simpler beings such as you cannot comprehend. When he awakens, he'll be ready to challenge Carnage once more… and win."

Suddenly, the door to the infirmiry swung open and slammed into Taranza.

"Yo! Sup my homies?" said Marx.


	54. REJECTION

CHAPTER 54: REJECTION

"YOU!" roared Magolor.

"Oh you're a real bozo!" growled Knuckle Joe.

"Ow, my face…" mumbled Taranza, who was just hit by a door.

"Sheesh, tough crowd…" snorted Marx as he strutted into the center of the room. "Is Pink Boy still clocking 'em?" He peered over at Kirby. Dedede and Adeleine hugged him tightly to keep him safe from the evil jester.

Marx laughed and looked over at Meta Knight. "You've got a soft spot don't ya?" laghed Marx. "If I were you, I would have just grabbed Kirby and ran. No use keeping those twerps alive when the entire soul warehouse has been cleaned."

Dedede could not believe what he was hearing. Marx was truly a horrifly detestable person. He was ashamed to have ever once considered hima brother.

"What do you want Marx?" grumbled Meta Knight. It was good that he was annoyed too.

Marx sighed. "Meta Knight… what have I always wanted? What have I always desired?"

"A booster seat?" said Taranza stupidly.

"Chaos. I've only ever wanted chaos. Oh, how I love…chaos," Marx giggled as he walked over to the door. "And look now what we have roaming our skies, the pure amalgamation of all things chaos: Carnage himself, in the flesh! I'm so gleeful! This is just what I've always wanted!"

"What's your point?" said Magolor.

Marx unfurled his wings. "My point is that I'm finally happy. After all these countless millenia of wallowing in cosmic depression, I am finally once again whole."

"Why would any of this make someone happy?" said Knuckle Joe angrily.

"You just don't get it, do you?" Marx hovered into the air and out the door. Everybody stumbled over to the window to see what was going on, they saw Marx giddily cackling as he darted towards Carnage.

Carnage eerily contorted his bloody iris towards Marx as he arrived. He slowly opened his beak and displayed his slobbery pink tongue across skewering silver fangs.

"Oh, you gorgeous, gorgeous specimen. Please allow me the honour of delighting in your incomparable mania!"

Crnage screeched into Marx's face. Everyone by the window held their ears as te sound was so deafening.

"You flatter me, Carnage!" Marx squealed with glee. "Don't, please, I insist! You are far more worthy of all the mischief in the universe. I am but a mere puddle in your ocean of pandemonium."

Carnage darted his hooked tail on Marx's forehead in an instant, indetectable by the human eye. Marx felt an intense surge of radiance enter his core.

"Carnage? Does this mean you've selected me to be your disciple?" cheered Marx. "You are such a compassionate chaotic deity!"

Just then, the tail swiftly tore downwards, ravaging Marx's face asunder.

Marx soon realised what had just happened. "Carnage? Am I not presentable? Am I not… chaotic enough for you?"

And with that, Marx's entire body split in two, releasing all of the millennia-worth of repressed entropy as he wailed into the heavens with a billion overlaid screams of unholy terror.


	55. MENTOR

CHAPTER 55: MENTOR

"Oh my gosh…" said Dedede in horrifying. "He's… Marx is…"

"He's dead," mumbled Magolor. "Good riddance. I hated that guy."

"Oh no…" Taranza fell to the floor and started weeping. "I can't take this anymore!"

"Kids!" roared Meta Knight from behind. He was a still holding his wounded side. "You need to stop your crying! This is not how I trained you!"

"You didn't train us ar all, you toad!" growled Knuckle Joe. "You set us all up to be killed! You don't have any concern about what happens to us! We're not your soldiers, Meta Knight!"

"We're just kids…" said Dedede sadly. He pet Kirby's head, still wating hoping he would wake up soon.

Meta Knith sighed. "I'm sorry… for everything…"

"Neat. I'm Magolor. Nice to meet you," Mgolor said sarcastically.

Meta Knight picked up his sword and walked over to the window, he watched Marx's otherworldly essence leak out from his corpse as Carnage ravaged the remaining traces between its hideous teeth. "I know that Kirby is the only one who can stop Carnage, but until he awakens, all we can do is keep that thing at bay."

"He seems preoccupied now. Won't laying low suffice?" asked Taranza.

"No, because once he's done with Marx, he's sure to come after the rest of us by simply sensing our energy. Then he's get Kirby." Said Mata Knight. "That's the worst casae scernario."

Magolor crossed his arms. "But we have no idea when Kirby is gonna wake up. What now, Brainiac?" said Maolor.

J

"dedede thought really hard as he looked down at Kirby. "Is there some way we can help, Meta Knight?"

Meta Knight turned his eyes slightly to the students. "You all remember the training. I told each and everyone of you to fight to your very last breath. That is the warrior's code." Said Meta Knight as his tone got more somber. "But even if you find yourself losing to a stronger opponent, just remember that you will still always have hope and no one, not even Carnage, can take that beautiful thing away from you. Cherish hope and your heart will open up and show you the way…"

With his last guiding words, Meta Knight unfurled his bat wings and crashed out of the window, gripping Galaxia tightly and soaring off to confront the orbital beast.


	56. THE VOICE

CHAPTER 56: THE VOICE

Carnage looked up from his meal and saw Meta Knight's mask gleam in the gloaming. It lapped up the last bits of Marx's chaotic essence and slowly hovered nearer to its next prey.

"I'm not your prey," said Meta Knight, lifting his sword high. "I'm not your victim. I'm not even your challenger. I'm your rival, Carnage. This is destiny. And by this sword, we will discover once and for all who is the mightier warrior."

Carnage let out a low guttural drone and drew closer, salivating acidic teeming from it's horrid maw. The grass below was scorched to nonexistence by the otherworldly toxins.

Meta Knight then charged forward with lightning speed and began his assault. Carnage joined in on the action and the two fatefully engaged in a deadly duel that shook the planet to its core.

"They are figting now," said Magolor. "This is it. This is truly the end."

"Magolor! Stop saying such harsh things about Meta Knight!" shouted Adeleine, wanted to slap Magolor.

"He's right though," said Taranza, looking at his sad flower and remembering his past friendship. "There's no way Meta Knight can beat that thing. We're all doomed…"

"Dang, and I was just starting to get into Tae Kwon Doe," said Knuckle Joe.

Dedede looked down at Kirby and his vision felt soggy. _I don't wanna cry!_ He thought harshly. _"I don't wanna die or cry! Why did all this have to happen? Why did my friends die? Why did Escargoon have to die? Why!?_

Just then, he heard a voice in his head. _Dedede…_ it called.

"Holy cow!" said Dedede with a jump.

"What's wrong, nerd?" said Magolor annoyed with Dedede's funny actions.

"I thought I heard a voice just now…" said Dedede worriedly.

"Your freaking," said Magolor, eyes rolling. "Just sit tight. We'll all be dead soon."

 _Dedede…_ called the voice again.

Dedede took a deep breath and closed his eyes, when he opened them again, he saw Chief Bookem standing in front of hism.

"What?" Dedede gasped, looking around and noticing they were in another world. Magolor and the others were nowhere to be seen. He was still holding Kirby though. "What's going on here?"

"Dedede, calm down 'cause I only have a few moments to talk with you." Said the chief.

"Please explain what is goin' on?"

"Dedede," sighed Bookem. "It's time to stop acting like a kid and be a king."

"But I am already the king!"

"No, you think you're a king just because you have a gaudy title. But in reality, you are just like me. You are acting like someone who thinks they're better than everyone else and doesn't need anyone else."

"I am?" Dedede was confused. "But I have my friends now and me and Escargoon were becoming buddies before he died."

"Are they really your friends?" snorted Bookem. "You're not trusting them enough. I can seen into your heart. Look at where that's gotten me, kid!"

"Where? I don't know what this place is!"

"Dedede…" grumbled Bookem. "Look at me. I'm dead."


	57. HOPE

CHAPTER 57: HOPE

"I'm dead, Dedede," said Bookem again to reinforce his point. "Do you know why I died?"

"Why?" asked Dedede, really confused at how he was conversing tou a dead berson.

"I died because I tried to do everything on my own. I only lived for myself. If I had been more trusting of the Resistance, I could have probably been a much more useful asset. I could have saved Samo and Gryll and Bugzzy, but I didn't and now they've suffered because of my lack of trust."

"I don't understand. It isn't my fault that you abandoned us and got yourself killed!"

"Yes, that's true, but you're about to do the same thing that I did." Chief Bookem was starting to fade away. "If you truly love your comrades, you'll not just put your life on the line for them, but you'll also do everything you can to keep their hope alive. Right now, their hope is dwindling faster than my my time with you."

Dedede gulped. "Yes, I understand. But how can I help them? We're totally doomed!"

"Heed your master's words, kiddo!" Bookem was almost gone. "Always have hope!"

Dedede was back in the Kirby High School Infirmery.

"Well, this is bad," said Magolor.

Dedede shooked his head to regain a straight mind. He rushed over to the window and saw Meta Knight had been pinned to the ground by Carnage. The savage beast was about to plunge its stinger deep inside and put an end to the enigmatic swordsman.

"No, I won't let anyone else go…" said Dedede.

"What's the big deal?" said Taranza. "We've lost…"

"I learnt to give up on it all since Marx got killed," said Magolor. "What have we got left?"

Dedede grabbed Magolor by the scarf and gave him serious eyes. "We've got hope and nobody can take that away ever!"

"I hate metaphors…" mumbled Magolor.

"Then start believing, egg boy!" Dedede dropped his friend and turned to the others. "And you too. We're going to make it out of here. We are going to defeat Carnage!"


	58. I AM A WARRIOR!

CHAPTER 58: I AM A WARRIOR!

"If we continue to hope, Kirby might be able to sense the urgency of the situation and finally wake up," said Dedede, placing the pink round hero in the senter of his circle of friends.

"Sound like one of those dumb 'power of friendship' things," mumbled Magolor. "But at least its scientific."

Taranza smiled. "Well, I for one welcome the idea of hoping Kirby back to life!"

"That's because you're the Alpha-Nerd," said MAgolor.

Adeleine placed a hand on Dedede's shoulder. "We'll try our best Dedede and hope our hardest.

"Good, I'll need all of you though," said Dedede. He eyed Magolor with annoyance.

"Fine…" grumbled the Halacandria. "I guess It beats getting stuffed inside that freakshow's big toothy grin…"

And so everyone joined hands and hoped their hardest. They hoped that Meta Knight would be safe, that Kirby would wake up, and that Carnage would be defeated.

Meanwhile, Carnage was still chasing after his opponent. Meta Knight had successfully escaped from the demon's grasp, but had torn his right wing in the process; he could barely even fly now. He tried his best to bat away the deadly flurry stabs from Carnage's tail. All of a sudden, one blow was strong enough to knock Galaxia out of his grasp. Meta knight gasped and received a painful jab into his earlier patched-up wound.

Meta Kngiht fell to the ground and struggled to rise. Carnage clambered over to him and began stabbing him some more. Meta Knight's rmor and mask swas starting to crack. He was greatly bleeding in some areas and could feel the dark poison seeping from the mighty beast's tail into his veins.

"I won't fall here…" Meta Knight said as he rolled away from Carnage and quickly scooped up his sword. He pointed it at his foe. "I am a warrior!"

Carnage screeched and charged towards Meta Knight at high speeds. Carnage gripped Meta Knight in his jagged talons and dragging the so-called warrior across the ground, bloodying him up even more. Meta Knight was impacted against the rocky stone wall of Kirby High School. Carnage drew it's beak closely and licked the side of his cheek poking through his cracked mask.

"I won't fall…" Meta knight said again weakly. His vision was failing. "I won't…"

Carnage screeched again and drew it's tail back, ready for the final decisive blow.

Meta Knight roared with warrior fury.

Just then…

 _SHWING!_

Carnage shrieked into the orange skies.

Meta Knight cringed as he watched the tail of his enemy drop to the ground, detached from its host. Meta Knight looked over and saw a shorter version of himself wielding a massive sword, only he wore a big green hat and was pink and red, as opposed to blue and purple.

"Kirby…" Meta Knight murmured before passing out. A smile crept out from behind his dameged mask.


	59. REBIRTH

CHAPTER 59: REBIRTH

"Poyo…" Kirby mumbled with a stern expression. He eyed Carnage's big massive eye with contempt and readied his sword for annihilation.

Carnage screeched in pain, contorting its body to face the newcomer. It was ready to end all life on Popstar in an instant.

Kirby knew of this, and dashed forward and delivered a final slash. The sword tore through Carnage like a hot knife through butter. Carnage wailed in agony as it felt it's entire being rupture. In a matter of seconds, the whole creature exploded into pure chaos, coating the entire surrounding area with a thick coat of steaming galactic debris.

Kirby did a cool twirl with his sword and posed heroically against the next several explosions that followed in microbursts. The reactions were like chaotic popcorn in an Halloween microwave of terror.

"Kirby!" cried Dedede from the window. He saved us us all!" cired Dedede. He and the others slowly descened from the window with the flyers' help and ran up to the pink star warrior and gave him an uplifting cheer.

"Finally! It's really over now!" said Knuckle Joe.

"Hah! I knew it would work if we just hoped a bunch!" said Magolor saucily. "You guys were just dragging me down…"

"Put a sock in it," mumbled Taranza with a smile.

"Dedede! We did it! We woke up Kirby and he saved us!" said Adeleine.

Dedede smiled and then frowned, because he saw how badly beatup Meta Knight was. Everyone rushed over and helped him onto his back. "This is bad. Are there even any doctor's left on this planet?"

"Kirby can do it!' said Taranza brightly. "All he has to do is eat a stethoscope or something, right?"

"Yeah, then he can become Doctor Kirby. It's simple!" said Knuckle Joe.

"Poyo!" squeaked Kirby in agreement. He then turned in surprise. The ground behind him was shaking unexpectedly.

"What? An earthquake now?" stuttered Taranza. He quickly grabbed onto Knuckle Joe's muscular arms.

Dedede and Adeleine held onto each other too. "What's happening? I thought we won!" cried Dedede.

"Looks like the fight is only just beginning…" said Magolor, clenching his fists.

Just then, a big long stinger energed from the ground, right below Kirby. Kirby jumped out of the way right before he could get skewered. He dodged left and right as the sharp limb chased him around the battlefield.

"Why is it never over!?" cried Dedede.

Just then, Carnage reemrged from the ground, roaring furiously, and flapping the rocky debris off of its wings.


	60. SACRIFICE

CHAPTER 60: SACRIFICE

"Magolor, get out of there!" cried Dedede, as he, Adeleine, Taranza, and Knuckle Joe, made a beeline for safety.

Magalor stood paralyzed in fear as Carnage loomed over him. The mighty beast shrieked in his face, casuing magolor to cover his ears in response to the harsh tones.

"Magolor!" cried Dedede.

Carnage readied its tail to strike down its prey. Magaolor still couldn't move a muscle.

The tail darted forth and went straight toward's Magolor's heart. Magolor braced himself for impact.

Blood.

There was blood everywhere.

All over Magolor, staining his shiny white scarf and blue and gold outfit.

Magolor slowly opened his eyes to inspect the fatal damage he had incurred. He gasped when he saw the stinger mere millimeters away from touching his chest. Furthermore, he saw Meta Knight standing in front of him, acting as a shield, absorbing Carnage's deadly blow.

"No…" said Dedede.

"I am a warrior…" said Meta Knight weakly, coughing up blood. "And a friend…" he then fell to the ground in defeat.

Magolor was now paralyzed with the shock of having Meta Knight sacrifice himself for him. He had never expected someone like that to have ever cared so much for him. He began to cry.

Kirby ran over to Magolor and kicked him out of the way; he landed over with Dedede and the others. "POYO!" he cried.

Carnage roared in response, splaying its hideous wings and winding up the battlefield with miniature tornados that were still very strong.

Kirby looked down at the fallen swordsman, and gripped the hilt of his blade tightly. He jumped up and began another torrential assault of steel all over the demon's ocular mass.


	61. THE ONLY ONE

CHAPTER 61: THE ONLY ONE

"Why would he do that… for me?" Magolor wept as he clung to Taranza and put tears all over his cape. "I'm such a bad kid! I should not have been given a second chance!"

"It's okay…" said Taranza. "Meta Knight wanted you to live on. He wanted to apolosige to us all."

"Yeah, and now we can't let him down now," said Knuckle Joe, pounding the side of the dork cave that they were hiding inside. "We trained to be warriors just like him so we should avenge him like he was one of our own."

"We're just kids," said Adeleine. "The best we could do was hope our hearts out and wake Kirby out of his coma."

"I know, but it's better than nothing, right?" barked Knuckle Joe.

"No," said Dedede. He stood up and walked towards the cave mouth. "This thing can't be defeated…"

"Don't lose hope!" cried Adeleine. "We just solved our last problem with that! We gotta believe in Kirby."

"I do believe in Kirby," said Dedede. "But I believe he can't win without the proper help."

"Don't tell me you're going out their to fight him!" gasped Taranza.

"Don't do it man…" sniffled Magolor.

"I'm goin', because I'm the only one who knows how to defeat Carnage," said Dedede.

"What?" everyone cried as Dedede ran away.

"He's crazy! He's going to get himself killed!" cried Knuckle Joe.

"Well, we have to follow him!" said Adeleine, taking lead of the gang to follow Dedede back to Kirby and Carnage.


	62. A GRAND OLD TIME

CHAPTER 62: A GRAND OLD TIME

Kirby huffed and puffed as he tried so heard to defeat Carnage. There was a big problem: every time Kirby spliced the devil in twain, Carnage would reform even stronger. Kirby was too unintelligent to understand this concept and kept chopping away, hoping for a win, but it was no use. Eventually, Kirby was getting exhausted. He had only just woken up and would soon need to sleep again in order to recharge. He sat down on his butt and inhaled and exhaled tiresomely.

Carnage loomed overhead and shrieked at Kirby's poor little head. Kirby felt so many sensations of exhaustion from this fight, plus he was very disheartened about Meta Knight. He laid his heavy sword on the ground and leaned back with drowsy eyes staring up at the incoming beast. He slowly closed his eyes. Carnage came in for the kill…

"KIRBY!" cried a voice from behind.

Kirby hopped up in surprise, and saw Dedede barreling towards him, wielding his hammer.

"Eat this!" cried the teenage monarch. He chucked his hammer at Kirby and Kirby jumped up and caught it in him mouth, swallowing the whole thing.

"What!?" cried Adeleine and the others as they caught up to Dedede.

"What good is that?" cried Magolor. "He can't beat Carnage as simple old Hammer Kirby!"

"But he's not simple old Hammer Kirby," said Dedede. Everyone stared at him in confusion.

Kirby nodded in affirmation and ajumped into the sky with many heroic flips. All of a sudden, Kirby gained a massive rope headdress and wielded Dedede's own hammer, which grew to twenty times its oringal size and was encased in gold.

"No way," said Taranza in awe. "He's not just Hammer Kirby."

"He's Grand Hammer Kirby," said Magolor. He turned to Dedede. "But why?"

"Because you can't kill Carnage by slicing him to itty bitty pieces," said Dedede with his hands on his hips. "You have to pound every last living part of him to nothing."

"Radical!" said Knuckle Joe, impressed by Dedede's knowledge of the martial arts.

"POYO!" cried Kirby, bringing down the Grand Hammer on one of Crnage's wings. The entire wing was destroyed instantly by the tremorous pounding. Carnage shrieked in agony and quickly regenerated his wing as fast as he could.

"Kirby, treat it like it's an RPG!" cried Taranza. "Aim for his central intelligence core!"

"Oh my gosh, you nerd… He won't understand that!" mumbled Magolor. "Kirby! Aim for his head, then go for the rest of him!"

"Poyo!" Kirby nodded in agreement. He slammed Carnage in the face hard, flattening it to nonreality. He continued to strike with all his might, bludgeoning every facet of the beast like the most explosive game of whack-a-mole the universe had ever seen.

Just as Carnage was about to regenerate once more, Kirby laid down the Grand Hammer so hard that it split parts of the planet into pieces and set off volcanic magma spouting out from the cracks. Carnage screamed loudly into the aether before finally accepting its demise, dissolving into the last bits of nothingness as Kirby's matter-destroying weapon ended it permanently.


	63. SERENITY NOW

CHAPTER 63: SERENITY NOW

"Kirby," said Adeleine, coming up beside the tired pink warrior and giving him a warm hug. "Thank you… for everything."

"Poyo," mumbled Kirby, returning the hug before falling asleep again.

Just then, the sky tore apart. Like a rainstorm, tiny blue dots fell from the sky all flew around all over Popstar.

"What's going on now? That's not Dark Matter, is it? Did Carnage have a third form?" asked Dedede.

"Nah, bruh," said Knuckle Joe smiling. "I think those are all the souls that Carnage had gobbled up."

"Really?" said Dedede in awe of the magical shower. "But where are they going now?"

Knuckle Joe turned to his friend. "They're goin' home probably. Back to their vessels."

Dedede smiled. "So, dreams do come true…"

"So this is it, huh?" said Magolor, crossing his arms. "We finally solved the mystery of the Kirby High School murders and now we can rest easy knowing no one whats to kill us anymore."

"Yeah, feels kinda good…" said Taranza.

"Hey," Magolor turned to the spider kid. "I'm sorry for being such a jerk to you."

"It's no problem," said Taranza. "I'm used to you making a fool of yourself all the time."

Magolor chuckled. "Nerd."

Dedede was really amazed by the shiny skies with the souls flying around. But when he looked down, he saw nothing but the ravaged earth in all directions. Kirby High School was toast. He hoped that they would be able to restore Popstar to its dreamlike state really soon.

Dedede then slapped his forehead in immense shock. "OH NO!" he cried in shock.

"What?" said everyone a bit worried. Kirby peeped an eye opened too.

"I just remembered that I still have Prince Fluff in my freezer at home!" shouted Dedede. "If he gets his soul back now, he'll just end up dying from frostbite! We have to get him out, quick!"

And so, everyone ran back to the the castle to save Fluff before it was too late.


	64. DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE - FINAL CHAPTER

CHAPTER 64: DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE

Dedede leaned over the roof railing, staring over at the construction for the new Kirby College, named after the Principal of the repaired Kirby High School, who was still alive a nd well, grading papers and hiring teachers.

Magolor, hovered up to Dedede and leaned against the rail too. He adjusted his stiff collar. "I can't wait to get outta here so I can stop wearing these dumb uniforms. Why did they make us wear these again?" he grumbled.

"You know," said Dedede. "Because the the teachers didn't want any more unruly perps roaming the halls." He grinned at his Halacandrian friend. "Don't forget, you were part of the problem…"

"I only started ten foodfights last year. Just TEN!" Magolor said with a huff. "Anyway, what's up with you?"

"I was just thinking about the prom…"

"Oh great…" Magolor rolled his eyes. "You're still into that kind of junk? We haven't done that since Freshman year, Dedede."

"Well, we're seniors now so this will be my last chance before college. High School is the most influential thing to ever happen to me, and I got a second chance, so I want to make the most of it."

"I think you made more than the most of it when you were a freshman. What with the whole Carnage ordeal…" Magolor said, thiking of his rich history.

Dedede chuckled. "Yeah, those were some crazy times. I certainly am glad that's all over… But still… you know…"

"I get ya. Do what makes you happy," said Magolor. "I have better things to do."

"You're not going to ask Tiff to the prom?" said Dedede a bit concerned.

"Oh yeah…" he mumbled. "You see, Dedede. Me and Tiff broke up a couple days ago…"

"What!?" Dedede cried in shock. "But you've been dating for years!"

"Yeah, but I don't have time for girls anymore Dedede," said Magolor. "Because…"

"What?"

"Because I've decided to become an astrophysicist! Quit prying, lugnut!"

"I wasn't prying…" snicker Dedede. "But why does that mean you can't date Tiff anymore?"

Magolor sighed sadly. "Because I'm going away, Dedede…"

"Away? Where?"

Magolor pointed to the sky. "I'm got an internship on Galacta Knight's Arena. I'm going to work with the Intergalactic Federation of Star Warriors at the end of this summer. It's the least I can do… for him…" Dedede thought Magolor was about to start crying.

"Well, that's great!" He cheered, trying to lighten the mood, suddenly he was saddened. "Wow, you'll really be far, far away then. Me and the boys will miss you,"

"Yeah, well… I'll send you a postcard or something dumb like that."

The stood for a while and watched the good clouds.

"Hey," said Dedede. "If you're gonna go away could you at least come to prom and pull a few pranks with us. It'd be pretty cool to do it one last time with the whole gang, right?"

Magolor sighed. "Fine, but only because this will be the last time I'll be able to chuck Taranza in the dumpster."

"There you two are!" scolded a voice from behind. It was Adeleine and she was very cross.

"Here I am…" muttered Magolor.

"Adeleine, hi!" squealed Dedede. "We weren't loitering, I swear!"

"You two ar supposed to be in class, not sulking in off-limits areas without permission," said Adeleine.

Magolor hopped off the roof smugly and hovered through the window below into his classroom. "It's like I never left, yo," he said slyly.

"Showoff…" grumbled Dedede. He turned to see Adeleine staring at him angrily. "Oh… I'm coming, don't worry!" he said nervously. She was still grumpy at him.

She turned away with a humph and led him bak to the classroom.

 _Why is she mad at me?_ He thought to himself.

At the end of the day, everyone headed home. The only kids on the sidewalk were Dedede and Adeleine. Dedede turned to Adeleine. "Did you want to talk about something?"

"I don't want to talk to you about anything," snapped Adeleine, turning her head away.

"Um…" Dedede looked at the clouds again and struggled to find a conversation. "Lovely weather we're having?"

"You big dumb penguin…" groweled Adeleine. "Why haven't you asked me to prom yet?"

"What?" cried Dedede.

"You haven't asked me since we were freshmen!" cried Adeleine. "All you ever do is hang out with those prankster boys!"

"Well, I was gonna aask you, but I wasn't sure if I was gonna go yet," said Dedede flabbergasted.

"The prom is tomorrow!" shouted Adeleine.

"So?"

"Ugh! Boys are so clueless…"

"Does that mean we're going?"

Adeleine spun around and socked Dedede in the face. "OF COURSE IT DOES, STUPID! DON'T BE LATE!" she stormed off.

Dedede rubbed his sore beak. "Why did she hit me? Couldn't she have said 'yes'"?

"Sire, are you okay?" asked a slimy voice from behind him.

"Oh, hey, Escargoon," said Dedede, giving a high five to his snail guardian. "I was just talking to a friend."

"Ooh! Is it a girl-friend?" snickered the snail.

Dedede blushed. "Put a cork in it…"

Escargoon put an arm around Dedede and the two walked back to the castle together. "So let's talk about your then day, kiddo! Have a good lunch? Do good on you quizzes?"

"Escargoon, you know better than anyone else that the answer to both of those questions is a big fat 'no'."

 **THE END**

 **Thanks for sticking around 'til the end of the wild Dreamland adventure, fam!**

 **Until next time! Poyo!**


End file.
